HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Health Education

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department plans to update the Know Your Limits leaflets.

Dawn Primarolo: The leaflets "Drinking and You" and "Drinking, You and Your Mates" were updated and reprinted in April 2008.
	On 19 May, the Department will launch a public information campaign on alcohol units and health, which will include several new leaflets replacing current Know Your Limits leaflets.

Asthma: Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps the Government have taken to improve NHS healthcare services for asthma sufferers.

Ann Keen: In 2004, the Department introduced a National Service Framework (NSF) for Children, Young People and Maternity Services to set standards. Copies of the NSF are available in the Library. Asthma has a specific care pathway within the NSF, which serves as a benchmark in guiding national health service commissioners in procuring efficient, effective and child/family orientated services, and also serves as a reference for appraisal by families, service commissioners and the Healthcare Commission.
	The NHS Choices website, launched June 2007, contains a wide and expanding range of information about asthma to help sufferers manage their condition. This includes information on causation, preventive measures, treatments, and comparative data on primary and secondary care providers. Later this year, an asthma pathway will bring together in one place a range of information about the five stages of the condition.
	Published Quality and Outcome Framework scores indicate how each general practitioner practice in England performs in the delivery of recognised best practice in asthma care against the national standard, and that of the local primary care trust.
	World-class commissioning is an ambitious initiative that is being rolled out across the entire national health service, with the purpose of strengthening the commissioning of health and wellbeing services across the board. The World-Class Commissioning Programme will improve health outcomes for people with asthma just as it will improve outcomes for people with any health need or condition, through transforming the way that health and care services are commissioned.
	In addition, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has appraised the following asthma treatments: inhaler systems (devices) in children under the age of five years with chronic asthma; corticosteroids for the treatment of in adults and children aged 12 years and over; corticosteroids for the treatment of chronic asthma chronic asthma in older children (5-15 years) and omalizumab for severe persistent allergic asthma.
	Where NICE has given a positive recommendation that the NHS should provide this treatment, primary care trusts are statutorily obliged to provide funding.

Bereavement Counselling: Children

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on initiatives aimed at assisting bereaved children.

Ann Keen: The Department has not received any such representations. Over the last three financial years, we have financially supported the Child Bereavement Charity with £109,000 towards the cost of their Communicating with Children - Every Bereaved Child Matters project.

Cystic Fibrosis: Screening

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review his Department's policy on testing for cystic fibrosis carrier status when screening newborn babies for cystic fibrosis.

Ann Keen: On the recommendation of the United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC), a newborn cystic fibrosis screening programme was introduced in England in 2001 to identify babies with cystic fibrosis. The screening programme is not designed to test for cystic fibrosis carrier status. A small proportion of babies (about one in 100) are unavoidably identified during the testing as cystic fibrosis carriers. This can happen if a mutation analysis of a blood sample is required after the biochemical test. In such cases, in line with other newborn screening programmes, parents will be advised that their child is a carrier. The UK NSC keeps all its policy advice under review.

Statutory Instruments

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many statutory instruments have been  (a) made and  (b) revoked by Ministers in his Department since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Paice) on 25 March 2008,  Official Report, column 14-15W.

Doctors: Manpower

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of doctors of each specialty and grade there will be in the NHS in each of the next 10 years.

Ann Keen: The numbers of doctors that the national health service requires each year is a matter for determination by local NHS organisations, as they are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community.

Doubt Kills Campaign

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has given in grants to the Doubt Kills campaign by the British Heart Foundation.

Ann Keen: The Department has given no direct funding for the Doubt Kills campaign to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), although the Department does regularly support the BHF through Section 64 grant funding for other purposes.

EU Action

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which consultations undertaken at EU level affecting his Department there were in each of the last 10 years; to which of these his Department  (a) responded within the deadline,  (b) responded after the deadline and  (c) made no response; and in which consultations the Department secured all the aims of its consultation response in the ensuing action taken by the European Commission.

Dawn Primarolo: In response to any consultation at European Union (EU) level, the Department always aims to meet the stated deadline. If this is not possible, we negotiate an extension when required. We are committed to keeping scrutiny committees fully engaged in accordance with Government guidance and always aim to influence the consultation process as constructively as possible and robustly where necessary. However, comprehensive information on all EU-level consultations affecting the Department in the last 10 years is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Food: Safety

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local authorities were participating in the Food Standard Agency's Scores on Doors scheme at the latest date for which information is available.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has sponsored pilot schemes of a variety of designs and involving a total of 47 local authorities(1). A number of other local authorities have implemented schemes independently of the FSA in response to local needs.
	There has been widespread support for a nationwide scheme to ensure clarity for consumers and consistency for businesses. In view of this, the FSA will shortly be launching a public consultation on proposals for introducing a United Kingdom-wide scheme.
	(1) Aberdeen, Ashford, Banbridge, Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Belfast, Brent, Brighton and Hove, Bromley, Camden, Canterbury, Coventry, Croydon, Derby, Ealing, Edinburgh, Enfield, Fife, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Hull, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston, Lambeth, Leicester, Lewisham, Maidstone, Merton, Newham, North Devon, Nottingham, Perth and Kinross, Redbridge, Renfrewshire, Richmond, Sevenoaks, Stoke on Trent, Swansea, Tonbridge and Malling, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster.

Health Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's definition of a health centre is.

Ben Bradshaw: "Health centre" is a term used to describe a range of health services characterised by the co-location and integration of different services, including those traditionally provided in a hospital setting. The scope and scale of these services will be determined by local commissioners in collaboration with clinicians and patients to reflect local needs and circumstances.

Health Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which team within his Department leads on plans for a new GP-led health centre in each primary care trust area.

Ben Bradshaw: The Commissioning and System Management Directorate supported by the Commercial Directorate are jointly assisting the national health service to deliver the new general practitioner (GP) led health centres and new GP practices in poorly served areas.

Health Services: Rural Areas

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that people with mobility problems or other disabilities secondary to chronic health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis will be able to access polyclinics and other primary care services in rural areas.

Ben Bradshaw: The premises from where such services are to be delivered must comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. It is for primary care trusts to develop, in consultation with local people, general practitioners and others, the services within the health centre that best reflect local needs.

Health: Children

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the  (a) levels of obesity and  (b) general health of school children in England in the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the exact format requested.
	Data on the prevalence of obesity and self-reported general health among children aged two to 10, 11 to 15, and two to 15 between 1995 and 2006 can be found in the "Health Survey for England 2006 latest trends", published 31 January 2008. The data are presented in table 4 (obesity) and table 8 (general health) of the "Children trend tables 2006". This publication is available in the Library.

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether Ministers from his Department have  (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill on behalf of private Members and  (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill which were subsequently passed to private Members in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Ministers from the Department have on no occasions either authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill on behalf of private Members, or authorised officials to do so.

Meat Hygiene Service

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1801W, on the Meat Hygiene Service, what assessment he has made of the effect of the changes referred to in the answer on the functioning of Red Lion Abattoir, Nantwich.

Dawn Primarolo: We have been advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that the new approach to charging for the costs of the delivery of official controls in approved meat plants, referred to in the earlier answer, continues to be developed with stakeholders, including representatives of abattoir operators. The FSA Board will discuss proposals for this and an impact assessment at its meeting on 17 July 2008. The intention will be for a full public consultation to start in late summer to enable the new approach to charging to be introduced from late March 2009, subject to consideration of the consultation responses and of the associated impact assessment. It is too early to assess the impact of the proposals on individual abattoirs.

Mesothelioma: Health Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the funds and resources required to implement the mesothelioma framework.

Ann Keen: The Department has estimated that implementing the mesothelioma framework will be largely cost neutral as it builds on service structures already in place for the treatment of lung cancer.

Mesothelioma: Health Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received on the implementation of the mesothelioma framework.

Ann Keen: The Department received 10 representations on the implementation of mesothelioma in response to a campaign letter seeking support for the 'Action Mesothelioma Day' parliamentary reception held on 27 February 2008.

NHS: Armed Forces

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS employees who were also serving members of the British armed forces in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect data about the number of national health service employees who are serving members of the armed forces. Last year the Ministry of Defence carried out an exercise to assess the number of United Kingdom health care professionals serving in the Volunteer Reserves and estimated this to be around 1,600.

NHS: DHL

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms he has put in place to monitor the effectiveness of the NHS's contract with DHL for the delivery of medical supplies; what estimate he has made of the effect on costs of the contract over its lifetime; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: DHL is contracted to run the business operation now known as NHS Supply Chain and has committed to key performance indicators (KPIs), including service delivery and financial targets. A business plan has been submitted to deliver savings of £1 billion over 10 years.
	While the contractual high level KPIs are used for performance and penalty reporting, lower level KPIs are used predicatively and diagnostically to forecast and understand performance.
	KPI information is produced for the lifetime of the contract in the form of standard reports, which are monitored and evaluated by the Supply Chain Management Division (SCMD) of the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) which has been set up to manage DHL performance. Along with KPI measurement, rigorous process evaluation and gateway reviews, the SCMD are audited to ensure processes and procedures for managing the contract are robust.
	The SCMD will liaise with key stakeholders via appropriate forums and feedback routes to ensure that service delivery reflects customers' needs and that the outsourcing delivers value for money. The master service agreement gives the NHSBSA full audit rights of NHS Supply Chain.

NHS: Working Hours

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the results of the NHS national workforce projects pilots on the European Working Time Directive.

Ann Keen: Full details of all the national health service national workforce projects pilots including locations and where available their objectives, results and lessons learned have been placed in the Library. All this information can also be viewed at the national workforce project website at:
	www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk/pilotprojects.html.

Nurses

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department expects to publish guidance on the commissioning of specialist nursing services for patients with  (a) diabetes,  (b) Parkinson's disease,  (c) multiple sclerosis,  (d) epilepsy,  (e) breast cancer and  (f) stroke.

Ann Keen: We have published Long Term Neurological Conditions: A good practice guide to the development of the multidisciplinary team and the value of the specialist nurse. This guide has been prepared for commissioners and managers to highlight the role and contribution of specialist nurses. These principles are transferable to other specialities.
	Copies of the guidance have been placed in the Library and can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk/resources/latest_resources/long_term_neurological_conditions.html

Nutrition: Logos

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications his Department has received for a licence to use the 5-a-day logo from  (a) voluntary groups,  (b) Government departments,  (c) NHS bodies and  (d) local authorities.

Dawn Primarolo: Government Departments do not require a licence. We have received 48 applications from voluntary groups, 118 applications from national health service bodies and 32 applications from local authorities.

Nutrition: Logos

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications his Department has received to use the 5-a-day logo on fruit or vegetable packaging.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has received 117 applications to use the 5-a-day logo on fruit and vegetable packaging. Applications can be for a number of items in a product range produced or supplied by the applicant.

Nutrition: Logos

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications to become an official partner of the 5-a-day campaign have been approved by his Department.

Dawn Primarolo: All organisations using the 5-a-day logo are considered to be 5-a-day partners. There are currently 407 licences in place to use the 5-a-day a logo. A further 268 licences have been approved since the launch of the 5-a-day logo but have since been delisted or not renewed.

Organs: Donors

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has held on the proposed Europe-wide organ donor card.

Ann Keen: In May 2007, a European Commission (EC) Communication on organ donation suggested that the introduction of a European donor card might help increase organ donation rates across the European Union. The European Parliament has also inter alia called for an EU donor card that would complement existing national systems. However, the potential benefits and risks of a European donor card continue to be discussed by member states as part of a wider consideration of the EC's Communication.

Pharmacy

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to collect information on numbers of independent pharmacies.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the ownership of community pharmacies is collected by the Information Centre for health and social care and published in the 'General Pharmaceutical Services in England and Wales 1997-98 to 2006-07 (Annual Bulletin)'. Copies of the latest bulletin have been placed in the Library and are also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/pharmacies/general-pharmaceutical-services-annual-bulletin-2006-07.

Pharmacy: Disadvantaged

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the centralisation of primary healthcare services on pharmacy services to vulnerable groups; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 8 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1176W.
	In continuing to ensure that there are adequate arrangements for patients to access pharmaceutical services, primary care trusts will consider the needs of vulnerable groups.

Queen's Hospital Romford: Admissions

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the bed occupancy rate was at the Queen's Hospital Romford in each month since January 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: Information is not available in the format requested. Information is collected annually at national health service trust level, and the latest data available are for 2006-07.
	Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust manages the services at Queen's Hospital, Romford, King George Hospital, Ilford, and Barking Hospital. The 2006-07 data provided by the trust show an occupancy rate of 89.5 per cent. for beds in wards that are open overnight.

WiFi: Health Hazards

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Health Protection Agency on progress on its investigation into the potential health implications of WiFi and WLAN technology.

Dawn Primarolo: In September 2007, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced its intention to systematically investigate the types of WiFi equipment in use and produce information on exposures to radio signals from wireless computer networks. The work started in November and should last for two years. The HPA provided a brief report to its Radiation Chemical and Environmental Hazards Sub-Committee meeting in April 2008 attended by a Departmental official. The work is making satisfactory progress. HPA Board Sub-Committee minutes and a summary of background information on WiFi can be found on the HPA web site at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebContentAreaLanding/Page/1153822623782(WiFi background)
	www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947341079(Board Sub-Committee meetings)

Barking Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust: Finance

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the financial performance of the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Hospitals Trust.

Ben Bradshaw: We recognise the challenging financial position of Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust, which at quarter three was forecasting a deficit of £39.9 million for the 2007-08 financial year. We are continuing to work with the London Strategic Health Authority as they and the trust's management develop plans for the trust's financial recovery.

Care Homes

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have received NHS Continuing Care in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06,  (c) 2006-07 and  (d) 2007-08 to date in each primary care trust

Ivan Lewis: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Chronically Sick: Health Services

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made in relation to the World Class Commissioning Initiative of best practice in the commissioning of services for long-term conditions, such as arthritis, which do not currently feature as clinical indicators in the quality and outcomes framework of the General Medical Services contract.

Ben Bradshaw: The World Class Commissioning Programme endeavours to drive commissioners to improve health outcomes across all health needs and conditions.
	The World Class Commissioning Programme requires commissioners to routinely seek and report on research and best practice evidence, including clinical evidence, which will assist in commissioning and decision-making. Commissioners will need to show that they are prioritising investment, identifying and commissioning against key priority outcomes, taking into account patient experiences, local needs and preferences, risk assessments and national priorities.
	Commissioners will be held to account on their commissioning performance through an assurance that is intended to lead them towards world class.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients: Young People

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons  (a) under 16 and  (b) from 16 to 18 years of age (i) are detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 and (ii) were detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not collect the information requested.

Departmental Managers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of the  (a) agenda and  (b) minutes of the last six meetings of his Department's departmental board.

Ben Bradshaw: A summary of proceedings from each scheduled meeting of the departmental board is published on the Department's website within three months of the meeting. The summary of proceedings from the departmental board meetings on 14 June 2007, 12 July 2007, 11 October 2007, 8 November 2007, 17 January 2008, and 14 February 2008 will be placed in the Library. The summary of proceedings from the departmental board meeting on 3 April 2008 will be placed in the Library once the minutes have been agreed at the next meeting.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage of his Department's  (a) capital budget and  (b) revenue budget that has not yet been allocated for (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11.

Ben Bradshaw: Over 80 per cent. of national health service revenue funding for 2008-09 was allocated to the NHS in primary care trust (PCT) allocations on 13 December 2007. The remaining funding is centrally controlled either by:
	strategic health authorities (funding allocated on 5 February 2008); and
	the Department (funding allocated to budget holders at the beginning of this financial year).
	Revenue allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11 have not yet been announced.
	The Department has changed the system of NHS capital allocations so that most of the capital funding that is destined for spend by NHS trusts and PCTs is allocated in response to capital plans that are submitted by NHS trusts and PCTs at the start of the year. Plans for 2008-09 will be finalised in May. The 2008-09 plans include indicative figures for 2009-10 and 2010-11 expenditure, which will not be agreed until the start of those years.
	Capital resources have also been set aside to cover foundation trusts, which fund their capital expenditure through cash retained from their operating cash-flows and through prudential borrowing.
	Over 55 per cent. of 2008-09 capital resources have been set aside to be drawn under the aforementioned arrangements to fund the local capital investment plans of NHS trusts, foundation trusts and PCTs.
	The remainder is centrally managed. It comprises central budget funding (e.g. Connecting for Health) and 'programme capital'. Central budget holders were allocated their budgets on 17 March 2008. 'Programme capital' is funding for capital costs incurred locally of delivering centrally determined investment priorities. This funding will be allocated in the first half of the financial year.

Food Supplements: EU Law

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the food supplements directive and the nutrition and health claims directive are implemented in the Crown Dependencies of the United Kingdom in accordance with Protocol 3 of the UK's Treaty of Accession;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 25 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 551-54W, on dietary supplements: EU law, whether the Food Standards Agency has received responses from the Governments of Jersey and Guernsey to the letters it sent on 10 September 2007; and when a collective meeting with the representatives of these Governments is planned to take place.

Dawn Primarolo: Responses have been received from the Governments of Jersey and Guernsey, and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) hosted a meeting of representatives from the Crown Dependencies on 11 April 2008.
	The FSA continues to work with the Ministry of Justice, the Department responsible for the Crown Dependencies, and the Administrations in the Crown Dependencies regarding implementation of the food supplements directive and nutrition and health claims Regulation to prevent trade in food supplements that would be illegal in the United Kingdom.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what weighting was given to  (a) the number of primary care clinicians,  (b) health outcomes and  (c) patient satisfaction with GP services as indicators in determining in which primary care trust areas with poorest provision to establish new GP practices;
	(2)  what score was given to each primary care trust in determining in which to establish new GP practices in areas with the poorest provision for  (a) number of primary care clinicians,  (b) health outcomes and  (c) patient satisfaction with GP services; and what the data source was for each indicator.

Ben Bradshaw: The range of indicators used to determine the primary care trusts (PCTs) with poorest provision, their data source and associated weightings are shown in the following table. For each PCT, the standardised distance from the England average was calculated for each indicator. These distances were assigned a weight based on the three themes and each PCT was then ranked based on the sum of the weighted differences. The following table shows PCTs and their distances.
	
		
			  Indicator  Weight ( percentage ) 
			 Primary Care Clinicians (1) 60 
			 Whole-time equivalent general practitioners (GPs) per 100,000 weighted population  
			 Whole-time equivalent practice nurses per 100,000 weighted population  
			   
			 Health Outcomes (2) 30 
			 Male life expectancy  
			 Female life expectancy  
			 Cancer mortality among under-75s  
			 Cardiovascular mortality among under-75s  
			 Index of multiple deprivation (health)  
			 Percentage of patients with diabetes in whose HbAlc is 7.5 or less  
			 Percentage of patients with hypertension in whose blood pressure reading is 150/90 or less  
			   
			 Patient Satisfaction (3) 10 
			 Percentage of patients seen within 48 hours  
			 Percentage of patients able to book an appointment more than 2 days ahead  
			 Percentage of patients satisfied with their practice telephone system  
			 Percentage of patients able to see a specific GP  
			 Percentage of patients satisfied with practice opening hours  
			  Source: (1) 2006 Information Centre Workforce Census (2) Office for National Statistics (life expectancy data based on population estimates and mortality statistics from death registrations) and Quality Management and Analysis System (2006-07 Quality and Outcomes Framework data) (3 )2007 GP Patient Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  PCT  Strategic health authority (SHA)  Total distance 
			 Manchester PCT North West SHA -1.70 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT London SHA -1.60 
			 Knowsley PCT North West SHA -1.39 
			 Sandwell PCT West Midlands SHA -1.36 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT West Midlands SHA -1.30 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT North West SHA -1.18 
			 Liverpool PCT North West SHA -1.15 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT North East SHA -1.13 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT West Midlands SHA -1.06 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT North West SHA -1.05 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT West Midlands SHA -1.05 
			 Barnsley PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -1.04 
			 Leicester City PCT East Midlands SHA -0.98 
			 Oldham PCT North West SHA -0.97 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT North West SHA -0.88 
			 Stoke on Trent PCT West Midlands SHA -0.87 
			 Hounslow PCT London SHA -0.86 
			 Hull PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.81 
			 Nottingham City PCT East Midlands SHA -0.80 
			 Blackpool PCT North West SHA -0.80 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT North West SHA -0.78 
			 Dudley PCT West Midlands SHA -0.78 
			 Bolton PCT North West SHA -0.75 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT London SHA -0.74 
			 Sefton PCT North West SHA -0.73 
			 Medway Teaching PCT South East Coast SHA -0.73 
			 Salford PCT North West SHA -0.72 
			 Hartlepool PCT North East SHA -0.71 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT North West SHA -0.70 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT West Midlands SHA -0.69 
			 Newcastle PCT North East SHA -0.68 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT North East SHA -0.67 
			 South Tyneside PCT North East SHA -0.64 
			 Calderdale PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.63 
			 North Lancashire PCT North West SHA -0.61 
			 Luton Teaching PCT East of England SHA -0.60 
			 Havering PCT London SHA -0.59 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT London SHA -0.59 
			 Rotherham PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.57 
			 Enfield PCT London SHA -0.57 
			 Bury PCT North West SHA -0.57 
			 South Birmingham PCT West Midlands SHA -0.56 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT West Midlands SHA -0.53 
			 Newham PCT London SHA -0.52 
			 Gateshead PCT North East SHA -0.52 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT West Midlands SHA -0.52 
			 Bristol PCT South West SHA -0.52 
			 North Somerset PCT South West SHA -0.50 
			 Middlesbrough PCT North East SHA -0.48 
			 East Lancashire PCT North West SHA -0.48 
			 North Staffordshire PCT West Midlands SHA -0.46 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT South Central SHA -0.44 
			 Peterborough PCT East of England SHA -0.42 
			 Derby City PCT East Midlands SHA -0.40 
			 Bassetlaw PCT East Midlands SHA -0.40 
			 Ealing PCT London SHA -0.38 
			 Redbridge PCT London SHA -0.36 
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT East Midlands SHA -0.35 
			 Waltham Forest PCT London SHA -0.35 
			 Trafford PCT North West SHA -0.35 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT London SHA -0.34 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT South East Coast SHA -0.33 
			 South Staffordshire PCT West Midlands SHA -0.32 
			 Wirral PCT North West SHA -0.32 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT South East Coast SHA -0.31 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT South East Coast SHA -0.29 
			 Bradford and Airedale PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.28 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT East of England SHA -0.27 
			 Warrington PCT North West SHA -0.27 
			 Southwark PCT London SHA -0.26 
			 North Tees PCT North East SHA -0.25 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT London SHA -0.23 
			 North Tyneside PCT North East SHA -0.21 
			 Islington PCT London SHA -0.21 
			 Kirklees PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.20 
			 Bromley PCT London SHA -0.16 
			 Doncaster PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.16 
			 Brent Teaching PCT London SHA -0.13 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT London SHA -0.11 
			 Leeds PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.10 
			 Lewisham PCT London SHA -0.08 
			 North East Essex PCT East of England SHA -0.07 
			 Stockport PCT North West SHA -0.07 
			 Wakefield District PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.07 
			 County Durham PCT North East SHA -0.07 
			 Hillingdon PCT London SHA -0.06 
			 West Kent PCT South East Coast SHA -0.06 
			 Croydon PCT London SHA -0.04 
			 Shropshire County PCT West Midlands SHA -0.04 
			 Central Lancashire PCT North West SHA -0.04 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT East of England SHA -0.04 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.02 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT London SHA 0.00 
			 Derbyshire County PCT East Midlands SHA 0.03 
			 Berkshire East PCT South Central SHA 0.03 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT North West SHA 0.06 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA 0.06 
			 Bexley Care Trust London SHA 0.08 
			 Sheffield PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA 0.10 
			 Darlington PCT North East SHA 0.12 
			 Northamptonshire PCT East Midlands SHA 0.12 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare PCT South Central SHA 0.14 
			 Warwickshire PCT West Midlands SHA 0.16 
			 Milton Keynes PCT South Central SHA 0.18 
			 Southampton City PCT South Central SHA 0.22 
			 Barnet PCT London SHA 0.25 
			 South East Essex PCT East of England SHA 0.25 
			 Camden PCT London SHA 0.26 
			 Surrey PCT South East Coast SHA 0.27 
			 Harrow PCT London SHA 0.28 
			 Western Cheshire PCT North West SHA 0.31 
			 Solihull PCT West Midlands SHA 0.31 
			 West Essex PCT East of England SHA 0.31 
			 Hampshire PCT South Central SHA 0.31 
			 Westminster PCT London SHA 0.34 
			 Cumbria PCT North West SHA 0.35 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT East of England SHA 0.37 
			 West Sussex PCT South East Coast SHA 0.42 
			 Herefordshire PCT West Midlands SHA 0.42 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT London SHA 0.43 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT South West SHA 0.45 
			 Worcestershire PCT West Midlands SHA 0.47 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT South West SHA 0.49 
			 Berkshire West PCT South Central SHA 0.50 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT South West SHA 0.51 
			 Lambeth PCT London SHA 0.52 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT South East Coast SHA 0.53 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA 0.55 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT East Midlands SHA 0.56 
			 Torbay Care Trust South West SHA 0.56 
			 Suffolk PCT East of England SHA 0.56 
			 Bedfordshire PCT East of England SHA 0.61 
			 Gloucestershire PCT South West SHA 0.61 
			 Wandsworth PCT London SHA 0.61 
			 Kingston PCT London SHA 0.64 
			 Swindon PCT South West SHA 0.65 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT South West SHA 0.65 
			 Somerset PCT South West SHA 0.72 
			 Dorset PCT South West SHA 0.74 
			 Mid Essex PCT East of England SHA 0.75 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT South Central SHA 0.77 
			 South West Essex PCT East of England SHA 0.82 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT South West SHA 0.87 
			 Oxfordshire PCT South Central SHA 0.87 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT London SHA 0.87 
			 Norfolk PCT East of England SHA 0.95 
			 Lincolnshire PCT East Midlands SHA 0.97 
			 Northumberland Care Trust North East SHA 0.99 
			 Devon PCT South West SHA 1.06 
			 Wiltshire PCT South West SHA 1.10 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT East of England SHA 1.62 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA 1.80

Health Services: Greater London

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much capital allocation to the London NHS was returned to the Exchequer in each of the last 10 years; and what the main reasons were for each instance of underspend.

Ben Bradshaw: Underspends against capital allocations generated by the national health service are not returned to the Exchequer. They are carried forward and made available to spend in future years. Explanations for the underspends are not collected centrally.

Health Services: Greater London

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding was provided for health services in the London boroughs of  (a) Greenwich,  (b) Bromley,  (c) Lewisham and  (d) Bexley in each of the last five financial years; what such funding is planned for each of those boroughs in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the change in funding for health services in the London boroughs of  (a) Greenwich,  (b) Bromley,  (c) Lewisham and  (d) Bexley was over the period 2003-04 to 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department makes revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) rather than to boroughs.
	The revenue allocations made to Greenwich Teaching PCT, Bromley PCT, Lewisham PCT, and Bexley care trust for the years 2003-04 to 2008-09 and the cash increases from 2003-04 to 2008-09 for each PCT are set out in the following tables.
	The aim is to announce the 2009-10 and 2010-11 PCT revenue allocations by the summer.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Allocation 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Bexley Care Trust 181,941 199,058 217,632 258,661 281,904 297,301 
			 Bromley PCT 264,585 289,086 315,280 373,188 403,632 425,678 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 238,961 262,607 287,940 344,632 372,379 392,719 
			 Lewisham PCT 283,282 311,262 341,224 397,785 429,633 453,100 
		
	
	
		
			   Cash increases to allocation from 2003-04 to 2008-09 (£000) 
			 Bexley Care Trust 109,880 
			 Bromley PCT 153,398 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 143,797 
			 Lewisham PCT 167,366 
			  Notes: 1. Comparisons between allocations rounds cannot be made because of changes to funding included in revenue allocations. 2. In 2008-09, all PCTs received an above-inflation cash increase of 5.5 per cent.  Sources: 1. Primary Care Trust Unified Allocations 2003-04 to 2005-06. 2. Primary Care Trust Unified Allocations 2006-07 to 2007-08. 3. Primary Care Trust Revenue Allocations 2008-09.

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what timetable he has set for publication of the outcomes of the review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services to primary care; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what consideration has been given to section 1.2.5.3 of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's clinical guideline 40, on urinary incontinence, in the review into Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services to primary care; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The review is ongoing. A further consultation will be published shortly—together with an Impact Assessment and Equality Impact Assessment—and will be open for 12 weeks.
	Section 1.2.5.3 of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's clinical guideline number 40 on urinary incontinence states that intermittent urinary (IU) catheterisation should be used for women with urinary retention who can be taught to self-catheterise or who have a carer to perform the technique.
	The review of arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services in primary care is looking at the reimbursement for IU catheters. However, decisions relating to what item shall be prescribed will continue to be a matter for the prescriber to decide in consultation with the patient, having taken the guidelines fully into account.

Medical Records: Databases

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people to date have elected not to have their medical records put on the NHS spine.

Ben Bradshaw: The only clinical information on the national health service care record spine is in summary care records. Up to 30 April 2008, 614,052 registered patients over the age of 16 in the summary care record early-adopter primary care trust (PCT) areas had been sent a personalised information pack to inform them of the changes that are taking place, the choices that they have and how those choices can be exercised. Of these, 4,986 (0.81 per cent.) have indicated to their general practitioner or to the PCT their wish not to have a summary care record.

Medical Records: Databases

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patients may elect not to have their records included on the NHS Secondary Uses Service database; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Secondary Uses Service (SUS) database is the repository of person and care event data relating to the treatment of patients in the national health service. It is used for management and clinical quality and safety purposes other than direct patient care. These secondary uses include healthcare planning, commissioning, public health, clinical audit, benchmarking, performance improvement, research and clinical governance.
	Information provided through SUS will be anonymised or pseudonymised to remove information that could be used to identify individuals but still allow cases to be tracked and linked, for example for research. Patients do not have an automatic right not to have information about them held within SUS. We safeguard the confidentiality of information about patients, while also supporting and facilitating the use of information for the purposes for which SUS exists, subject to safeguards.
	Although patients have no automatic right, the Data Protection Act 1998 provides a right to have requests to stop information being held within SUS considered, subject to being able to demonstrate that processing is causing the patient significant damage or distress.

Medical Records: Databases

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 26th March 2008,  Official Report, column 206W, on medical records: databases, what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of alerts a single Caldicott Guardian will be able to monitor and  (b) the likely number of alerts per day.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 13 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 1547-48W.

Mentally Ill: Suicide

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of people who have committed suicide in each of the last five years who had been treated for mental health problems.

Ivan Lewis: The number of mental health service users in England who committed suicide and the proportion of total suicides which this represents, in the five most recent years for which data are available, is shown in the following table.
	The data collection methodology for total suicides also records deaths caused by undetermined intent and the total includes these deaths. At the time of responding, the data for 2005 were 93 per cent. completed and final figures, when available, are expected to be higher than those shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of mental health service users in England who committed suicide and the proportion of total suicides which this represents, 2001 - 05 
			   Number of service users in year who committed suicide  Total number of suicides and deaths by undetermined intent in year  Percentage of people who had previously been in touch with mental health services 
			 2001 1,258 4,560 27.6 
			 2002 1,246 4,449 28.0 
			 2003 1,235 4,452 27.7 
			 2004 1,280 4,518 28.3 
			 2005 1,199 4,421 27.1 
			  Source:  The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness. 
		
	
	Information on suicides by people in contact with mental health services is collected by the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (NCISH). NCISH is funded by the National Patient Safety Agency to ensure that everyone involved in mental health learns and implements lessons from the factors associated with serious mental illness. The Department has been, and remains, committed to taking appropriate action in response to the Inquiry's findings.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to page 131 of his Department's 2007 Annual Report, what the  (a) £1 billion NHS central capital budget and  (b) £2.3 billion for other NHS central revenue budgets was spent on in 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: Actual spend figures for 2007-08 are not available at this date.
	The following are planned central capital and revenue budget programmes exceeding £100 million that make up the vast majority of the total reported on page 131 of the 2007 "Departmental Report", in descending order.
	
		
			   £ billion 
			  NHS Capital Budget 2007-08  
			 Connecting for Health 0.85 
			 Arms Length Bodies 0.14 
			   
			  NHS Revenue Budget 2007-08  
			 Arms Length Bodies 0.75 
			 Substance Misuse 0.40 
			 Vaccines and Pandemic Flu 0.28 
			 Departmental administration 0.28 
			 Strategic health authority administration 0.15 
			 Social Care education 0.13 
			  Note: The residual £0.3 billion is made up of a large number of small budgets.

Suboxone

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to extend the availability of Suboxone in the treatment of drug addicts.

Dawn Primarolo: Suboxone is the brand name for a preparation of buprenorphine and naloxone, which is used as a substitution therapy for patients dependent on opioids.
	Suboxone is available for use on the national health service. The decision to use Suboxone is a clinical one and is taken following consultation with the patient about their clinical needs and priorities. Advice on prescribing of Suboxone is included within the joint Department of Health and National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse publication, "Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management", published in September 2007.
	Due to the additional ingredient of naloxone in Suboxone the Department received a number of inquiries about whether the instalment dispensing regulations in place for buprenorphine and certain other medicines applied to Suboxone. In August 2007 the Department issued advice confirming that the prescribing of Suboxone for instalment dispensing by pharmacists is provided for under General Medical Services regulations.

SCOTLAND

Statutory Instruments

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many statutory instruments have been  (a) made and  (b) revoked by Ministers in his Department since 1997.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has responsibility for overseeing a programme of secondary legislation to manage the devolution settlement and elections in Scotland. Since 1 July 1999, when the Office was created, 128 statutory instruments relating to the devolution settlement and elections in Scotland have been taken forward. Of the 128 statutory instruments:
	109 of these were made under the Scotland Act 1998
	one under the Public Expenditure and Receipts Act 1968
	18 Orders under various enactments in relation to the management of elections in Scotland
	Information relating to the revocation of statutory instruments is obtainable only at disproportionate cost.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Polling Stations: Disabled

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps are being taken to ensure that returning officers take effective steps to provide people with disabilities with access to polling stations; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that its guidance for returning officers covers access to polling stations for those with disabilities. This includes a checklist of issues to consider when choosing buildings for use as polling stations. The polling station handbook for use by presiding officers and poll clerks on election day also contains advice on accessibility.
	The Representation of the People Act 1983 places an obligation on councils, so far as it is reasonable and practicable, to designate as polling places only places that are accessible to disabled people and to give all electors within their area reasonable facilities for voting.
	Following Electoral Commission recommendations, section 16 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 required that councils consult the returning officer as part of their review of polling places. Councils must seek the views of people who have particular expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for people with disabilities when carrying out reviews, and were required to carry out such a review during 2007.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Official Hospitality

Theresa May: To ask the Leader of the House how many receptions she has hosted and funded in her capacity as Leader of the House in the last 12 months; which individuals and organisations  (a) were invited to and  (b) attended each reception; and what the cost was of each reception.

Helen Goodman: In due course, Government Departments will publish annual lists providing information relating to official receptions hosted by Ministers in the previous financial year. The data published by the Cabinet Office will include information for the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons.

WALES

Council Tax: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment the Valuation Office Agency has made of evidence of  (a) errors and  (b) incorrect banding in relation to the 2005 council tax revaluation in Wales.

Paul Murphy: The Valuation Office Agency is satisfied that the bandings undertaken when council tax revaluation in Wales was introduced in 2005 were made competently. During the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2007 (the first two years of the 2005 council tax lists coming into force) one third fewer challenges were received than in the same period of the 1993 lists, and just 1.55 per cent. of bandings were changed as a result of these challenges.

Departmental Public Participation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultants have been contracted by his Department to conduct public participation activities in the last three years; and how much expenditure his Department has incurred on each such contract to date.

Paul Murphy: None.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax: Unpaid Taxes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much council tax was uncollected in cash terms  (a) in England and  (b) in each Government office region in each year since 1996-97.

John Healey: Details of the amount of council tax uncollected in cash terms in England and in each Government office region in each year since 1996-97 are shown in thousands in the following tables. The data relate to the non-collection of council tax within the year to which it relates. The table also shows the amount of uncollected council tax as a proportion of the total amount of council tax local authorities expected to collect if every taxpayer paid the full amount for which they are liable after discounts and benefit.
	
		
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			   £000  %  £000  %  £000  %  £000  %  £000  %  £000  % 
			 North East 22,757 5.5 23,354 5.2 25,685 5.2 26,227 5.0 27,948 5.0 27,280 4.6 
			 North West 58,692 4.8 56,924 4.3 60,508 4.2 65,870 4.3 70,201 4.3 73,710 4.2 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 41,183 5.1 44,068 5.0 46,431 4.8 50,802 4.9 51,831 4.7 50,507 4.3 
			 East Midlands 31,908 4.5 29,756 3.8 31,976 3.7 33,711 3.6 37,604 3.7 41,171 3.7 
			 West Midlands 36,594 4.2 37,392 4.0 45,014 4.3 47,816 4.2 47,910 4.0 49,445 3.8 
			 East of England 33,495 3.3 34,918 3.2 36,257 3.0 40,671 3.1 41,703 2.9 40,195 2.6 
			 London 116,602 8.8 116,546 8.2 121,743 7.9 132,875 7.9 132,233 7.2 126,506 6.3 
			 South East 45,715 2.9 48,585 2.9 55,397 2.9 62,963 3.0 64,801 2.8 66,370 2.7 
			 South West 36,962 4.0 36,550 3.7 39,741 3.5 40,136 3.3 43,247 3.3 42,644 3.0 
			  
			 England 423,908 4.8 428,093 4.5 462,752 4.4 501,071 4.4 517,478 4.2 517,828 3.9 
		
	
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			   £000  %  £000  %  £000  %  £000  %  £000  % 
			 North East 28,299 4.3 28,215 4.0 30,442 4.0 28,197 3.5 28,773 3.4 
			 North West 77,930 4.2 81,844 4.0 76,996 3.7 84,148 3.7 91,566 3.8 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 49,813 3.9 51,711 3.6 53,948 3.5 56,831 3.5 63,128 3.7 
			 East Midlands 40,918 3.3 43,847 3.3 43,207 3.0 42,376 2.8 40,447 2.6 
			 West Midlands 52,159 3.6 50,364 3.2 50,002 3.0 53,645 3.1 57,801 3.1 
			 East of England 43,921 2.5 49,732 2.5 52,106 2.4 52,576 2.3 51,735 2.2 
			 London 127,462 6.0 149,103 5.9 151,211 5.6 144,288 5.1 146,765 4.9 
			 South East 65,384 2.4 80,210 2.6 82,956 2.5 82,518 2.3 84,509 2.3 
			 South West 44,812 2.8 46,756 2.6 49,622 2.5 47,259 2.3 48,521 2.2 
			
			 England 530,698 3.6 581,782 3.5 590,490 3.4 591,838 3.2 613,245 3.1 
		
	
	Collection of council tax continues once the financial year to which the tax relates has ended. This means that the final amount uncollected is somewhere between the figures shown here and zero.
	The data are derived from data reported on QRC4 forms submitted annually by all billing authorities to Communities and Local Government and its predecessor Departments.

Departmental Pay

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of  (a) salaries for permanent civil service posts,  (b) salaries for permanent non-civil service posts and  (c) payments to temporary or agency workers in her Department was in each month since May 2005.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following table outlines recorded expenditure on  (a) salaries for permanent civil service posts,  (b) salaries for permanent non-civil service posts and  (c) payments to temporary or agency workers in the Department for each month since May 2005.
	
		
			  Month  (a) Salaries for permanent civil service posts  (b) Salaries for permanent non-civil service posts  (c) Payments to temporary or agency workers 
			  2005-06
			 May 8,202,624 205,788 558,338 
			 June 8,120,424 206,480 553,068 
			 July 8,101,986 220,300 410,882 
			 August 8,799,344 216,541 564,543 
			 September 8,080,274 190,428 445,682 
			 October 6,728,551 205,437 476,876 
			 November 8,569,986 213,079 713,503 
			 December 7,978,621 249,113 494,452 
			 January 8,195,666 168,694 527,659 
			 February 8,418,526 176,537 612,899 
			 March 8,026,454 171,642 -170,519 
			 
			  2006-07
			 April 8,082,381 175,139 273,238 
			 May 7,847,599 159,258 816,600 
			 June 7,985,103 158,687 184,727 
			 July 8,647,698 178,078 1,204,751 
			 August 7,844,778 224,874 -251,356 
			 September 8,126,807 168,405 395,137 
			 October 7,973,285 136,343 260,523 
			 November 9,046,311 195,676 437,983 
			 December 8,674,116 214,262 144,578 
			 January 10,298,460 186,864 434,574 
			 February 15,249,357 231,092 1,692,199 
			 March 6,888,733 295,671 -10,525 
			 
			  2007-08
			 April 8,045,669 186,048 393,423 
			 May 8,189,351 225,695 1,150,187 
			 June 7,808,035 230,700 3,064,673 
			 July 8,282,344 225,167 2,128,605 
			 August 7,877,361 226,726 2,579,247 
			 September 7,961,532 179,249 301,913 
			 October 8,167,576 244,213 3,630,644 
			 November 8,895,203 310,828 -81,759 
			 December 8,355,365 255,610 1,639,995 
			 January 8,291,597 238,952 715,413 
			 February 9,583,643 311,666 3,132,620 
			 March 8,413,649 148,939 3,011,748 
			  Notes: 1. The costs only cover expenditure for CLG central (not Government offices, who perform tasks for 10 Government Departments or executive agencies). 2. Salary costs for permanent civil servants and non-civil servants include costs for salary including arrears, ERNIC, superannuation, overtime, travel time, temporary responsibility allowances, bonuses, and other pay allowances. 3. There are some monthly negative totals in the agency and interim staff figures. These are explained by accruals/journals at year end or following a period of larger than normal expenditure from the previous month.

Departmental Procurement

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department's departmental purchase orders are recorded in an electronic database.

Parmjit Dhanda: All departmental purchase orders are recorded on a database within the enterprise resource planning software (SAP) that forms the Department's finance system.

Departmental Public Participation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on  (a) written consultation,  (b) consultation roadshows and  (c) stakeholder focus groups in each of the last three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: Over each of the past three calendar years to December 2007, Communities and Local Government and my predecessor Department undertook respectively:
	57 public consultations (ODPM 2005)
	34 public consultations (Communities and Local Government 2006)
	48 public consultations (Communities and Local Government 2007)
	These consultations were launched in order to inform the Department's policy development. Information on how much the Department has spent on written consultation, consultation roadshows and stakeholder focus groups in each of the last three years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Consultation exercises form an integral part of policymaking and as such are funded from policy teams' budgets rather than a consultation budget and so a total cannot be provided.

Floods: EU Grants and Loans

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effects of the difference between the amount expected and the amount received from the European Solidarity Fund for flood recovery; what consequential adjustments she plans to make to spending priorities; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I made on 6 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 18-19WS.

Housing: Databases

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2501W, on housing: databases, 
	(1)  what the Unique Property Reference Number is of  (a) the official ministerial residence of 10 Downing street,  (b) the official ministerial residence of 11 Downing street and  (c) each of the three ministerial residences in Admiralty House, Whitehall, according to the records held by the Valuation Office Agency;
	(2)  how many domestic dwellings in England have now been allocated a Unique Property Reference Number.

John Healey: Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) are allocated to individual properties by the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG), which is the responsibility of the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA). Any questions about UPRNs should therefore be directed to the IDeA.

Unitary Councils: Council Tax

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effects of unitary local government arrangements on the local level of council tax.

John Healey: The level of council tax is a matter for individual local authorities. We have assessed, on the basis of councils' own estimates, that the new unitary local government arrangements that we are establishing, including the creation of nine new unitary councils, will allow in total savings of over £100 million annually to be realised. With such savings, the average equivalent annual reduction in band D council tax could be of the order of £90, although of course it is for each council to decide whether to use these savings on improving services or on reducing council tax.
	Keeping council tax under control remains a priority for the Government and we will not hesitate to use our capping powers as necessary to protect council tax payers from excessive increases.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Cricket: Broadcasting

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions with representatives of the English Cricket Board he has had on the broadcasting of Test match cricket for the period from 2010.

Andy Burnham: I have had no discussions with representatives of the English Cricket Board over broadcasting of Test match cricket.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what efficiency savings  (a) his Department and  (b) the non-departmental public bodies it sponsors have made in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendations of the Gershon efficiency review; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: DCMS has three targets for implementing the Gershon efficiency review: deliver £262 million efficiency savings by 2007-08, reduce headcount by 27 posts by 2008 and relocate 600 posts in its NDPBs outside London and the South East by 2010.
	
		
			  Latest efficiency savings figures 
			  £ million 
			   2005-06 gains  2006-07 gains  2007-08 provisional gains  2007-08 target 
			 DCMS Internal 0.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 
			 NDPBs 73.0 126.1 145.0 114.0 
			 Local Authorities 44.7 112.9 112.9 146.0 
			 Total gains 117.7 240.0 259.9 262.0 
		
	
	2007-08 DCMS internal figures are final, NDPB figures are provisional and local authority figures will not become available until June 2008. We forecast that 2007-08 local authority gains will be £154.5 million and that we will therefore exceed our target. Final efficiency savings figures will be reported in the 2008 DCMS autumn performance report. Latest headcount figures show a reduction of 76 posts at 31 March 2008. The Department was carrying 35 vacancies at 31 March 2008 and even excluding these posts we have still exceeded our target. Latest relocation figures show the relocation of 586 posts at 31 March 2008. We have identified over 900 posts in total to relocate over the period and are therefore on course to exceed our target.

Departmental Domestic Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions he has visited  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Andy Burnham: In the last 12 months, Ministers in this Department have visited Scotland six times and Northern Ireland once. There have been no visits to Wales.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the March 2008 Emerging Technologies Group.

Andy Burnham: I am arranging for copies of the minutes from the Emerging Technologies Group's meeting of 10 April to be placed in the House Libraries, with the commercially sensitive information removed.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he was first informed of the research into return path usage among the elderly commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government, referred to in the minutes of the Emerging Technologies Group meeting on 27 February in relation to the digital switchover assistance scheme.

Andy Burnham: The Department was first told of the research at the Emerging Technologies Group meeting of 27 February.

Olympic Games: China

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people will attend all or part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games from  (a) UK Sport and  (b) Sport England; and at what cost.

Andy Burnham: UK Sport inform me that a total of eight people from UK Sport are attending all or part of the Beijing Olympic Games. The cost of this at current exchange rates is around £27,000, excluding living expenses. UK Sport state that these representatives are going to ensure the UK's lead agency for performance sport is properly represented, but also to deliver key objectives and attend formal meetings around their designated anti-doping, major events and international influence roles.
	Sport England inform me that Sport England will be represented by their chief executive and the director of property, and state that both have significant roles to play in terms of Sport England's increasingly strong role around talent and Olympic venues ahead of London 2012. The chief executive and director of property are attending the Beijing Olympic Games as part of the British Olympic Association's guest programme for one week in August, at a cost of £9,550 per person. Sport England state this is the price set by the BOA.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what landscaping contracts for the 2012 London Olympics have been let; and what plans she has to consult landscaping contractors in connection with the Games site.

Tessa Jowell: In March this year the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) selected world leading landscape architects IDA Design Hargreaves Associates to design the Olympic Park for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	The ODA also short-listed four world-class contractors bidding to undertake the management of landscaping the northern area of the Olympic Park and all return bids are due next month. The ODA is on course to appoint a contractor this autumn.
	The ODA hosted a very successful Industry Day last year and hold regular meetings with the British Association of Landscape Industry and the Horticultural Trade Association and continue to engage the market as they move closer to letting distinct pieces of work.
	In addition, to help businesses access 2012 related contracts, the London 2012 Business Network was launched in January of this year. A key part of this is CompeteFor, an online brokerage service that matches the profiles of suppliers and buyers, enabling businesses to directly compete for contracts, including landscaping contracts. I would encourage companies in the constituency of the hon. Member to take advantage of this.

Olympic Games 2012: Employment

John Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many people working on 2012 Olympic Games construction projects are on apprenticeships; and what proportion of the workforce this represents.

Tessa Jowell: The latest figures show that there are currently over 2,700 people working on the Olympic sites. 74 of these are trainees or apprentices; this represents 2 per cent. of the work force. However, as part of a wider programme to improve the skills and employment levels in East London and beyond, the Olympic Delivery Authority and partners are aiming for a target of at least 2,000 people into apprenticeships and work placements up to 2012.

TRANSPORT

Departmental Equality

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department met the civil service diversity targets set out on page 51 of Cabinet Office Annual Report 2007 by April 2008.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The latest published statistics against overall civil service targets were at October 2007, and are available on the civil service website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/diversity/monitoring.asp.
	The final measurement against the targets will be published in autumn 2008. The most recent figures for the Department for Transport are for 31 March 2008:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   DfT  Civil  s ervice  t arget 
			 Women in Senior Civil Service (SCS) 25.6 37 
			 Ethnic Minority staff in SCS 1.5 4 
			 Disabled people in SCS 1.5 3.2 
			 Women in Top Management posts 27.9 30

Departmental Translation Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by her Department on translation and interpretation services in 2007-08, broken down by language.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport and its agencies do not hold the data in an appropriate format to provide the breakdown requested and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The information that is available is in the following table.
	
		
			  2007-08 
			£000 
			 DfT(C) Translations and interpretations, including DfT share of EU Council Secretariat translations 70.6 
			 DVLA Translations, mostly into Welsh 111.7 
			 VOSA Translations and interpretations 72.0 
			 VCA Translations into Welsh 0.9 
			 MCA Translations and interpretations 12.2 
			 DSA Translations, mostly Welsh but also including British Sign Language 126.6 
			 HA Data not available except at disproportionate cost —

Driving: Diabetes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will review the criteria by which those with type 1 diabetes have had retention of their driving licences, including for heavy goods vehicles, reviewed.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Drivers with type 1 diabetes (insulin treated) who meet the published medical licensing standards can hold a Group 1 (car/motorcycles) licence subject to regular review.
	Persons with insulin treated diabetes are also able to drive goods vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes, subject to individual assessment of their ability to meet the higher medical standards required.
	Medical standards are subject to regular review by the Secretary of State's Honorary Medical Advisory Panels and may be amended in the light of relevant new evidence.

Driving: Licensing

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make it her policy to introduce conditional driving licences prohibiting  (a) nighttime driving,  (b) driving with passengers and  (c) motorway driving until a suite of driving tests and examinations have been passed over a period of years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: On 7 May, the Secretary of State launched the 'Learning to Drive' consultation, which sets out our proposals for the reform of driver training and testing. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House. Our proposed approach is one based on education and incentivisation, rather than restriction. We believe the evidence supports this approach. However, we are keen to hear everybody's views, and our consultation seeks opinions about our general approach as well as specific measures.

Luton Airport

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the projected change in numbers of flights  (a) to and  (b) from Luton airport by 2020 is; what percentage of flights using Luton airport were domestic in the latest period for which figures are available; and what percentage she expects to be domestic in 2020.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport's forecasts for Luton airport are set out in table G8 of the UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts report (November 2007). Luton airport is projected to have 130,000 air transport movements in 2020. The split between domestic and international flights is not readily available. However, we estimate that of the 17 million passengers forecast to use Luton in 2015, 12 per cent. would be domestic passengers.
	According to the latest statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority, there were 69,491 international flights and 13,828 domestic flights at Luton in 2007.

Roads: Accidents

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers aged  (a) 17 to 20,  (b) 21 to 29,  (c) 30 to 39,  (d) 40 to 49, ( e) 50 to 59,  (f) 60 to 69 and  (g) over 70 years of age had (i) at least one accident and (ii) a driving licence in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Information is not available on drivers involved in accidents at an individual level. The following table therefore may include double counting, where a driver may be involved in more than one accident in a year.
	The numbers of car drivers aged  (a) 17 to 20,  (b) 21 to 29,  (c) 30 to 39,  (d) 40 to 49,  (e) 50 to 59,  (f) 60 to 69 and  (g) 70 and over years of age involved in reported personal injury road accidents in Great Britain from 1997 to 2006 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of car drivers involved in reported personal injury road accidents 
			   Driver age 
			   17-20  21 -29  30-39  40-49  50-59  60-69  70 and over 
			 1997 35,523 81,961 79,430 52,361 33,362 17,195 11,831 
			 1998 34,222 79,153 80,958 52,521 34,434 16,991 12,107 
			 1999 31,847 73,376 78,969 51,188 34,756 17,155 12,224 
			 2000 30,594 69,810 79,229 51,742 35,229 17,294 11,877 
			 2001 29,544 65,689 76,061 51,188 34,454 16,675 11,957 
			 2002 29,216 64,228 73,043 49,814 33,587 16,162 12,215 
			 2003 28,085 60,236 66,970 48,020 32,004 16,338 11,952 
			 2004 28,494 58,326 63,763 47,855 31,037 15,830 11,786 
			 2005 29,140 55,616 59,107 46,873 29,989 15,491 11,407 
			 2006 29,191 53,154 54,272 45,030 28,423 15,369 10,998 
		
	
	Information is not collected on damage only accidents.
	The estimated numbers of car drivers aged  (a) 17 to 20,  (b) 21 to 29,  (c) 30 to 39,  (d) 40 to 49,  (e) 50 to 59,  (f) 60 to 69 and  (g) 70 and over years of age with a full car driving licence from 1996-98 to 2006 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Million 
			   All aged 17+  17-20  21-29  30-39  40-49  50-59  60-69  70 and over 
			 1996-98 30.67 1.17 5.25 7.15 6.12 4.99 3.38 2.44 
			 1997-99 31.12 1.17 5.15 7.29 6.15 5.24 3.49 2.49 
			 1998-2000 31.55 1.13 5.02 7.44 6.28 5.37 3.60 2.55 
			 1999-2001 31.71 1.00 4.83 7.39 6.37 5.49 3.75 2.74 
			 2002 31.94 0.93 4.33 7.36 6.58 5.91 3.73 2.92 
			 2003 32.14 0.86 4.36 7.28 6.70 5.89 3.93 2.93 
			 2004 32.20 0.82 4.25 7.16 6.79 5.90 3.99 3.10 
			 2005 33.32 1.00 4.38 6.99 7.08 6.02 4.20 3.44 
			 2006 33.73 1.06 4.57 6.88 7.18 6.07 4.38 3.39 
			  Note: Figures may not add exactly due to rounding.  Source: National Travel Survey

Roads: Accidents

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving a driver in his or her first year of driving following the acquisition of a full licence there were in the most recent year for which figures are available, broken down by the age of the driver.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1450W.
	In a study of new drivers, available at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme2/cohort2/
	it was found that the highest accident rates occurred in the first six months after passing the practical test.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission: Curfews

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans there are for administering curfews by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

James Plaskitt: Subject to passage of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission will not be able to apply to the court for a curfew order until it has made a liability order, and (where appropriate) attempted to recover payment of the monies owed by use of bailiffs, third party debt order or an interim charging order. This will ensure that this type of compliance measure remains very much a last resort.
	The length and constraints of the curfew order will be at the discretion of the court within the bounds of current legislation; they must not exceed six months and must be between two and 12 hours a day.
	Once it is established it will be for the Commission to consider how curfew orders will be administered.

Child Support Agency: Telephone Services

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many telephone calls to the Child Support Agency  (a) were received and  (b) received the engaged tone in each month since July 2005.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Susan Park:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As the Chief Executive is currently on annual leave, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf. You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many telephone calls to the Child Support Agency (a) were received and (b) received the engaged tone in each month since July 2005.
	The number of telephone calls made to the Child Support Agency which received an engaged tone from July 2005 to March 2008 is included in the attached table.
	Further information on the Agency's telephony performance is available in Table 16 of the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons library or on the internet at the following link:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/child_support/csa_quarterly_mar08.asp.
	The Agency has shown significant and sustained improvement in telephony performance under the Operational Improvement Plan. In the year ending March 2008 the Agency received 5,369,000 calls from clients and answered 98% of calls available to be answered, with an average waiting time of twenty seconds, and with less than 1% of calls receiving an engaged tone.
	
		
			  Number of telephone calls made to the Child Support Agency (old system and new system) which received an engaged tone from July 2005 to March 2008 
			  Month  Client telephone calls  Number of telephone calls which received an engaged/busy tone 
			  2005   
			 July 424,938 459 
			 August 446,532 238 
			 September 506,576 7,438 
			 October 486,362 22,483 
			 November 459,380 748 
			 December 344,854 1,568 
			  2006   
			 January 478,522 1,937 
			 February 433,721 276 
			 March 488,739 1,168 
			 April 381,253 649 
			 May 439,567 11,353 
			 June 445,730 17,570 
			 July 428,291 6,976 
			 August 412,352 2,024 
			 September 446,578 3,476 
			 October 450,290 2,019 
			 November 440,177 3,408 
			 December 329,109 494 
			  2007   
			 January 501,330 10,681 
			 February 428,770 300 
			 March 507,266 1,361 
			 April 430,195 99 
			 May 469,008 1,340 
			 June 469,811 6,295 
			 July 470,183 2,184 
			 August 447,142 674 
			 September 447,620 63 
			 October 489,968 147 
			 November 467,329 345 
			 December 332,005 406 
			  2008   
			 January 515,566 772 
			 February 470,003 2,127 
			 March 445,518 266 
			  Notes:  1. Information includes old system (CSCS) and new system (CS2) telephone calls.  2. The agency does not limit its system capacity to take calls and service providers have assured the agency of sufficient trunk capacity. Clients will only hear an engaged tone as the result of a technical fault usually at network level. Clients hearing an engaged tone will often redial immediately and unwittingly add to the problem. Certain months have seen a disproportionately high number of such incidents.

Children: Maintenance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value of child maintenance arrears owed by non-resident parents to children in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency was in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Susan Park ,  dated 15 May 2008:
	In reply to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As the Chief Executive is currently on annual leave, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value of child maintenance arrears owed by non-resident parents to children in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency was in each year since 1997.
	Information on the value of child maintenance debt is only available for cases managed by the new computer system (CS2) at constituency level from February 2007.
	The amount of debt on the new computer (CS2) owed by non-resident parents where the parent with care lives in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency was £2,194,000 at March 2007 and £2,535,000 at March 2008. The latest figures for March 2008 are un-audited and subject to change. Final national figures will be published with the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts later this year.
	This debt has accrued over the 15 years of the Child Support Agency's operation and is owed by non-resident parents as a result of their failure to meet their responsibilities to their children. Some non-resident parents do their utmost to avoid their responsibilities, for example by moving house or changing jobs whenever the Agency tries to collect maintenance.
	The Agency has collected and arranged a record breaking £1.01 billion in child maintenance in the year to March 2008, of which £126m was arrears. This improving performance will provide a stable foundation on which the new Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission can build.

Children: Maintenance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of parents with care claiming income support received child maintenance in each month since 2003.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Susan Park, dated 15 May 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the chief executive. As the chief executive is currently on annual leave, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of parents with care claiming income support received child maintenance in each month since 2003.
	The proportion of child maintenance cases with a positive maintenance outcome, where the parent with care is claiming income support is provided in the attached table. It should be noted that the information the Agency holds relates to cases only. A parent with care can have more than one child maintenance case. Benefits data is only available on a quarterly basis and the latest available data covers the period to May 2007.
	 Maintenance outcomes—cases in receipt of income support.
	This table shows the number of cases where the parent with care is in receipt of income support and where a payment was received or which had a Maintenance Direct arrangement in place over a three month period. This is presented as a proportion of the total number of cases which have a positive maintenance liability or on which a payment was made. This relates to the Secretary of State target for 2007-08 on Maintenance Outcomes.
	
		
			  Date  Child maintenance cases (%) 
			 February 2003 60 
			 May 2003 62 
			 August 2003 58 
			 November 2003 55 
			 February 2004 54 
			 May 2004 53 
			 August 2004 53 
			 November 2004 51 
			 February 2005 51 
			 May 2005 53 
			 August 2005 53 
			 November 2005 54 
			 February 2006 54 
			 May 2006 57 
			 August 2006 58 
			 November 2006 58 
			 February 2007 57 
			 May 2007 58 
			  Notes to table: 1. Table shows proportion of cases from which a payment was received including Maintenance Direct, as a proportion of the total number of cases with a positive maintenance liability, where the parent with care is claiming income support. 2. A parent with care is deemed to be in receipt of income support if they or their partner is claiming income support. 3. Benefits data is only available on a quarterly basis. 4. Latest available benefits data is at May 2007. 5. Figures rounded to nearest whole per cent.

Children: Maintenance

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what safeguards for children will be in place if the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission uses bailiffs to seize non-payers' property.

James Plaskitt: The Commission will be required, as the Child Support Agency is now, to have regard to the welfare of any child likely to affected by any discretionary decision such as the decision to enforce the collection of maintenance arrears through the use of bailiffs. All bailiff firms, including those contracted to the Agency, must comply with the National Standards for Enforcement Agents, a set of common standards produced by the Government as a code of practice.

Departmental Pay

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total cost was of  (a) salaries for permanent civil service posts,  (b) salaries for permanent non-civil service posts and  (c) payments to temporary or agency workers in his Department in each month since May 2005.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) Permanent civil service posts
	The total payments made to civil service permanent personnel in each year since May 2005 is as follows:
	2005-06 April to March is £2,302.33 million;
	2006-07 April to March is £2,265.63 million;
	2007-08 April to March is £2,221.01 million.
	These figures have been estimated for 2007-08 as the actuals are not yet available.
	The monthly breakdown year is as follows:
	
		
			 Permanent civil servant posts 
			  Month  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 April — 183,650,663 181,439,533 
			 May — 178,704,279 180,166,267 
			 June 184,184,323 181,831,394 180,073,281 
			 July 229,628,089 231,126,553 219,259,385 
			 August 190,244,934 183,848,704 187,483,048 
			 September 188,554,349 186,551,446 184,955,302 
			 October 186,835,067 188,370,270 185,059,758 
			 November 188,899,193 188,042,007 181,294,277 
			 December 186,083,845 188,042,007 177,426,758 
			 January 184,543,406 185,373,839 181,190,191 
			 February 184,543,406 185,576,914 183,882,559 
			 March 208,369,227 184,509,680 178,780,928 
			 
			 Total 1,931,885,839 2,265,627,756 2,221,011,287 
		
	
	 (b) Permanent non-civil service posts
	The Department employs 17 non-executive directors to provide an oversight to a number of business units including the Departmental Board. The total salaries paid for 2007-08 were £334,606.16.
	 (c) Payments to temporary or agency workers
	The total payments made to agencies to provide interim personnel in each year since May 2005 is as follows:
	2005-06 April to March is £52.99 million;
	2006-07 April to March is £61.98 million;
	2007-08 April to March is £37.02 million.
	The Department employs temporary staff "casuals" for short periods; they are recruited direct not by an agency.
	These figures have been estimated for 2007-08 as the actuals are not yet available.
	The monthly breakdown for temporary workers—non-agency staff—is as follows:
	
		
			  Month  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 April — 1,498,908 951,052 
			 May — 1,296,724 876,862 
			 June 1,623,087 1,572,925 927,159 
			 July 2,195,072 2,480,285 1,402,637 
			 August 2,620,664 3,137,604 1,798,865 
			 September 2,589,109 2,614,197 1,537,918 
			 October 2,734,967 2,093,475 1,399,916 
			 November 2,968,417 1,974,241 1,591,649 
			 December 3,171,526 2,099,779 1,609,386 
			 January 3,320,723 2,201,425 1,597,096 
			 February 3,201,721 3,217,885 1,895,901 
			 March 2,833,316 2,673,278 1,634,024 
			 
			 Total 27,258,602 26,860,726 17,222,465 
		
	
	The monthly breakdown for temporary workers—agency staff—is as follows:
	
		
			  Month  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 April — 288,429 2,030,908 
			 May — 6,175,451 3,494,735 
			 June 3,498,063 2,968,338 3,035,100 
			 July 6,295,453 1,975,004 3,681,014 
			 August 2,149,253 6,843,648 2,559,968 
			 September 2,628,591 3,769,897 3,507,816 
			 October 5,918,081 2,837,485 2,878,247 
			 November 2,839,595 3,564,802 3,753,694 
			 December 444,857 3,675,319 3,093,747 
			 January 2,633,343 8,618,533 3,327,606 
			 February 2,949,923 4,153,205 4,506,148 
			 March 13,258,606 (1,878,670) 3,960,853 
			 
			 Total 42,615,765 42,991,441 39,829,836 
		
	
	A monthly breakdown of information is not available for the period prior to April 2007 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The following special points should be noted.
	The total spend figures are the total paid to agencies for the supply of interim personnel (agency workers). This includes the fees paid directly to the interim personnel and also the fees paid to the agencies for their supply. The agency payments are normally based on a percentage mark-up and are variable depending on the agency and the category of personnel supplied. The average margin for all supply categories utilising the Department's primary supply vehicle, the CIPHER framework agreement, is 15 per cent.
	The total spend figures have been obtained from a number of sources including the Department's Financial and Resource Management systems and it should be noted that the figures are based on current account codes and category descriptors and may include some miscellaneous non-interim personnel expenditure because of the difficulty in categorising. The figures for 2007-08 have only recently been extracted and are subject to further validation.

Housing Benefit

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the effect of the proposed reduction in backdating facilities for housing benefit on  (a) eviction levels and  (b) homelessness.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions works closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government on a wide range of issues, including the impact of housing benefit policy on people who are homeless or at risk of
	homelessness.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government is aware of the proposed reduction in backdating timescales for housing benefit and council tax benefit claims and has seen a copy of the impact assessment. Officials from both Departments are working together to mitigate any impacts by undertaking an awareness-raising campaign among landlords, local authorities, customers and welfare rights agencies. Work on this is well under way and it is clear that a high proportion of stakeholders are already aware of the planned changes.

Rented Housing: Cambridge

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether  (a) addresses and  (b) rental values were used by the Rent Service to determine the median rent for the Broad Market Rental Area in which Cambridge lies.

James Plaskitt: It is the responsibility of the rent officer to collect information on lettings achieved in the private rented sector for the Broad Rental Market Area.
	The information is gathered from a variety of sources and is as representative of the market as possible, and to ensure that the lettings information is current the database is limited to the past 12 month period. The information held is sufficient both to confirm its validity and identify the size of the premises.

Social Security Benefits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people made a successful claim to receive  (a) housing benefit,  (b) council tax benefit and  (c) pension credit backdated for (i) three months, (ii) six months, (iii) nine months and (iv) 12 months in each the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is as follows:
	 Housing  b enefit and  c ouncil  t ax  b enefit
	The information is not available in the format requested because of the restrictions of the breadth and reliability of the data available.
	As part of the Equality Impact Assessment covering changes to the time for claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit for pensioners and a change to the backdating period allowed within housing benefit and council tax benefit for working age customers, which is available on the DWP website, an estimate of the proportion of housing benefit and council tax benefit caseloads affected by the proposals is provided. There are, however, important caveats to these estimates which must be noted.
	Figures on the number of claims that are successfully backdated are derived from the single housing benefit extract (HBSD-IAD scan). The backdating variable in the single housing benefit extract was introduced relatively recently (April 2007) and accordingly we have no means of corroborating how robust the data are against historical data. Furthermore, given that the data only go back six months, there is an insufficient pool of evidence to derive reliable figures from the data. These concerns should be allayed with time as the scan data improves.
	Based on the first six months of data available, it is estimated that approximately 0.2 per cent. of new housing benefit and council tax benefit claims would be affected. In absolute terms, this is approximately 3,000 housing benefit and 3,000 council tax benefit claims per year (in Great Britain). These figures may be subject to revision as more data become available and raw figures should be treated with caution given the nature of the data.
	 Pension Credit
	The information is not available in the format requested. Precise information on the time customers take to claim pension credit (known as backdating) is not routinely collected. The information in the following table estimates the possible maximum extent of backdating by examining the difference between the date of first payment and date at which entitlement begins. In some cases where payment starts after entitlement the delay will be due to processing times, evidence gathering and verification work which routinely accompanies claims for pension credit.
	
		
			  Estimates of the number of claims for pension credit by backdating period between 2003 and 2006 
			  Thousand 
			  Months of backdating  October 2003 to March 2004  April 2004 to March 2005  April 2005 to March 2006  April 2006 to March 2007 
			 0-3 months 2,220 190 170 170 
			 3-6 months 160 130 20 30 
			 6-9 months  160 10 10 
			 9-12 months  140 120 70 
			 Total on flows 2,380 610 310 280 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates of the number of claims by length of backdating period have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 cases 2. Care should be taken when interpreting the table. The Department does not routinely collect information on backdating periods and these have been estimated by comparing information on the date entitlement starts and the date pension credit is put into payment. Estimated backdating periods therefore include unknown periods of time that are due to processing, evidence gathering and verification work which routinely accompany every claim for pension credit. 3. Due to rounding the numbers of successful claims by period of backdating may not sum to the total number of successful claims. 4. There will be people flowing on to pension credit that will have zero backdating. These cases will be captured in the 0-3 month group.  Source: Experimental statistics of pension credit on flows.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received in relation to the capacity, funding and equipment of the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: holding answer 9 May 2008
	I regularly receive representations concerning the capacity, funding and equipment of the armed forces. Ensuring that our armed forces have the capabilities they need to achieve the tasks we ask of them as safely and successfully as possible is my highest priority.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the  (a) armed forces,  (b) Army,  (c) Royal Navy and  (d) Royal Air Force (i) are preparing to deploy on operations and (ii) have recently returned from operations.

Bob Ainsworth: Given the rotational nature of operational deployments, the proportion of RAF and Army personnel preparing to deploy on operations is broadly the same as the proportion that has recently returned from operations. For the RAF this is approximately 7 per cent. For the Army this is approximately 9 per cent. These figures include both Regular and Reserve personnel. Equivalent data for the Royal Navy could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Air Force,  (c) Royal Navy and  (d) Royal Marines were in breach of the guidelines on individual separated service at the end of the 2007-08 financial year.

Bob Ainsworth: The current levels of Individual Harmony (Separated Service) including operations and all other military tasks, as at 22 April 2008 (Q4 2007-08), show that:
	Less than 1 per cent. of RN/RM personnel were in breach of the single service guidelines.
	10.3 per cent. of the Army were in breach of separated service guidelines. (This is a year on year improvement from 14.5 per cent. in 2005-06 and 13.4 per cent. in 2006-07.) The Army continues to monitor separated service with due diligence utilising directed recruitment and retention initiatives targeted at pinch point trades in particular.
	9.2 per cent. of RAF personnel breached the single service guideline. This is a decrease of 0.8 per cent. on the previous quarter. There has been an increase over the past year due to changes in the reporting procedures that have brought the RAF into line with the RN and Army rather than an increase in commitments.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many military personnel had rehabilitation treatment at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many service personnel had rehabilitation treatment at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court after their return from  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each of the last five years.

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel were treated at Headley Court Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre in each year since 2004.

Derek Twigg: Headley Court records the total number of 'patient episodes', i.e. the number of reviews (of which there may be many) of individual patients, as well as new patient referrals. The total numbers of such episodes over the last five financial years are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   In-patients  Out-patients  Total 
			 2003-04 1,963 2,607 4,570 
			 2004-05 1,544 2,913 4,457 
			 2005-06 1,408 3,093 4,501 
			 2006-07 1,685 4,219 5,904 
			 2007-08 1,885 4,825 6,710 
		
	
	These statistics require further explanation. Patient referrals cover a wide range of injuries. Furthermore, as well as serving as the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (its core task), Headley Court is also the Regional Rehabilitation Unit for London and Overseas.
	Over the period covered by these statistics, there has been an increase in military operational tempo. This has led to an increase in patient activity overall and a more complex patient group requiring repeat admission to Headley Court. There have been changes in the balance between the numbers of patients requiring a ward bed and those who do not, including an increase in specialist clinics such as consultant-led visiting clinics and prosthetic clinics.
	The increase in ward beds to the current total of 66 (through the addition of a 30-bed temporary ward annexe in May 2007) and improved ways of working have helped to enable the increased throughput of patients. However, it continues to be the case that most injuries treated at Headley Court have not been sustained on current operations in Afghanistan or Iraq. As an example, on 2 May, 46 ward beds were occupied, of which 23 were occupied by service personnel earlier evacuated from Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of the non-ward bed spaces (around 110 in total) are occupied by in-patients on a regular basis, but mainly by patients who have sustained injuries elsewhere.
	However, information requested by operated theatre could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have been referred to  (a) a regional rehabilitation unit and  (b) Headley Court in each year since 2003.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows the total number of new patient referrals, for a course of treatment, of armed forces personnel to all 15 of MOD's regional rehabilitation units (RRUs). Full figures are not available for 2003-04.
	
		
			  1 April to 31 March  Number of new patient referrals 
			 2004-05 4,320 
			 2005-06 6,122 
			 2006-07 7,168 
			 2007-08 7,312 
		
	
	It should be noted that patient referrals cover a wide range of injuries, only a minority of which have been sustained on current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
	For total patient referrals to Headley Court, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him and my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Alan Simpson) today.
	As well as having the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre as its core task, Headley Court has also hosted the regional rehabilitation unit for London and overseas patients (if they are not treated by the one of the two RRUs located in Germany). Figures for referrals to the Headley Court RRU are included in the answer referred to previously, as well as in the table. These figures could be separated out only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his announcement of 6 May 2008, what the source of funding for the £24 million to be provided to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court is.

Derek Twigg: The Defence budget.

Armed Forces: Housing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much Annington Homes paid to the Government for land it sold to the east of Layer Road, Colchester, previously occupied by Ministry of Defence housing; and what percentage this represented of the value of the proceeds received by Annington Homes.

Derek Twigg: The 1996 sale agreement between Annington Homes Ltd. (AHL) and the Ministry of Defence related to the sale and value of properties rather than parcels of land. It has not proved possible to identify the specific site referred to or the number of properties it might have represented, and therefore we do not know what percentage the land represented.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) target and  (b) actual (i) inflow, (ii) outflow and (iii) voluntary outflow rate of each pinch point trade was in the last 12 months.

Bob Ainsworth: The following tables provide information on current pinch point trades. As can be seen, not all of the information on current pinch point trades is available. This is largely evident in the Army figures as there is insufficient data held on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system. During the transition to JPA, which was introduced to the Army in April 2007, some data were lost. These data are currently being rebuilt although it may be some time before reliable information is available. Target figures are not available as they do not exist. Not all pinch point trades can be rectified by inflow as the pinch point may appear at more senior levels; this loss of experience cannot necessarily be grown through inflow. Some gaps can be filled by promotion pull but the challenge is to stem voluntary outflow.
	Data for previous years are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. All three Services employ retention measures targeted at specific trade groups. For example, in the RN financial retention incentives (FRIs) are used to retain GR7 Instructors (£100,000 for pilot), MERLIN Aircrew and Lieutenant X Sub-Mariner Advanced Warfare Qualified (£25,000 with a Return of Service of four years). Other incentives include more flexible use of Full Term Commissions and the introduction of a Professional Aviator Pay Spine for air crewmen.
	Similarly, in the Army, FRIs are used as incentives for Infantry at identified key decision points and there is considerable focus on improving wastage during training. To retain Royal Engineer Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel the Army has introduced specialist pay and extended the course to increase first-time pass rate. REME Recovery Mechanic is another trade where the removal of Class 1 time bars, development of an apprenticeship scheme and the instigation of early eligibility for promotion to LCpl have helped to aid retention.
	The RAF have FRIs for a number of trades (fire fighter, nurse and gunner); introduced more flexible manning policies (such as re-engagement to 22 years for selected Base Rank personnel) and opened up Continuance as a way of retaining experience.
	
		
			  Royal Navy 
			  Pinch point trade  Strength  Shortfall (Percentage)  Inflow  Outflow  Voluntary outflow (Percentage) 
			 Lt X SM Advanced Warfare Course Qualified 75 8 9 12 4.00 
			 RN Harrier GR7 Instructors 7 57 n/a n/a 0 
			 Lt GR7 Harrier Pilots 35 51 n/a n/a 4.50 
			 Merlin Pilots 112 39 4 2 2.50 
			 Merlin Observers 116 46 3 1 1.50 
			 Merlin Aircrewmen 102 22 4 0 n/a 
			 Leading Hand Warfare 1,108 41 189 52 8.30 
			 Strategic Weapons Systems Junior Ranks 110 20 28 14 11.00 
			 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Sensors Submariner) 173 23 26 18 14.00 
			 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Tactical Submariner) 121 21 23 10 11.00 
			 Able Bodied Diver 136 30 22 8 13.00 
			 Able Rate 1 Seaman 351 15 32 34 19.00 
			 Able Rate 1 Warfare Specialist 754 24 277 98 14.80 
			 Able Rate 1 Communications and Information Systems 375 13 137 50 14.70 
			 Leading Aircraft Controllers 75 44 7 6 6.50 
			 Royal Marines Other Ranks 5,976 9 557 494 5.80 
			 Sea-King and Lynx Avionics Supervisors 348 18 n/a n/a 5.60 
			 Cat A Nuclear Watchkeepers 217 24 27 8 5.00 
			 Petty Officer Mine Warfare 56 27 10 1 2.40 
			 Cat B Nuclear Watchkeepers 417 18 34 25 8.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Army 
			  Pinch point trade  Strength  Shortfall (Percentage)  Inflow  Outflow  Voluntary Outflow (Percentage) 
			 Infantryman Pte-LCpl 13,740 8.5 — — — 
			 REME VM Pte-Cpl 3,140 14.6 — — 5.8% 
			 REME Armourer Pte-Cpl 321 16.8 — — 5.1% 
			 REME Rec Mech LCpl-Cpl 214 36.5 — — 5.7% 
			 Int OPMI Cpl-Sgt 498 26.0 — — 5.0 
			 RE Clk of Wks SSgt-WOl 276 15.1 — — 1.8 
			 REME Fitter Spr-LCpl 407 20.0 — — 8.2 
			 RA Gunner LBdr-Bdr 3,370 11.3 — — — 
			 AMS ITU Nurse Cpl-Capt 30 23.1 — — — 
			 AMS EM Nurse Cpl-Capt 37 30.2 — — — 
			 AMS Radiologist Maj+ 1 75.0 — — — 
			 AMS Orth Surg Maj+ 7 46.2 — — — 
			 AMS Gen Surg Maj+ 10 41.2 — — — 
			 AMS Anaesthetist Maj+ 20 59.2 — — — 
			 AMS Gen Med Prac Capt+ 137 10.5 — — 5.8 
			 AMS Radiographer Cpl+ 12 57.1 — — 10.4 
			 AMS RGN 263 26.9 — — 8.5 
			 AMS ODP Cpl+ 75 21.9 — — 3.6 
			 RA UAV Op (Level 4) LBdr-Bdr 57 47.7 — — 10.9 
			 REME Geo Spr-WO2 270 26.2 — — 5.8 
			 RE EOD Cpl-SSgt 500 28.7 — — 3.8 
			 REME C3S Spr-LCpl 740 22.8 — — 9.5 
			 RLC Ammo Tech Cpl-SSgt 314 15.4 — — 4.2 
			 RLC P&C Op Pte-Cpl 547 8.5 — — 5.9 
			 RLCChef Pte-LCpl 2,461 5.4 — — 2.5 
			 RSigs IS Engr Cpl-Sgt 400 -0.8 — — 3.7 
			 AGC(SPS) Mil Admin Pte-Sgt 3,557 10.4 — — — 
			 CAMUS Musician 253 16.2 — — — 
			 REME Aircraft Tech LCpl-Sgt 545 -7.9 — — — 
			 REME Avionics Tech LCpl-Sgt 289 4.3 — — — 
		
	
	
		
			  Royal Air Force 
			  Pinch point trade  Strength  Shortfall (Percentage)  Inflow  Outflow  Voluntary outflow (Percentage) 
			  Officers  
			 Medical 220 20.90 15 20 2.00 
			 Operations Support (Intelligence) 230 1.30 6 11 1.30 
			 Operations Support (Regiment) 240 10.10 6 19 2.40 
			 Operations Support (Provost / Security) 140 1.40 17 35 3.70 
			 Operations Support (Flight Operations) 190 11.60 18 24 2.50 
			 Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service 130 27.80 11 1 2.00 
			 Administration (Training) 200 13.40 10 24 5.60 
			 Chaplains 60 24.10 1 11 2.00 
			 Medical Support 80 12.10 8 1 2.00 
			 Operations Support (Fighter Control) 300 13.30 21 22 1.70 
			   
			  Other ranks trades  
			 Weapons System Operator (Air Load Master) 450 18.20 26 47 1.70 
			 Weapons System Operator (Linguist) 50 25.40 3 7 3.80 
			 Air Traffic Controller (ATC) / Flight Operations Manager (FOM) / Flight Operations Assistant (FOA) (1)1,200 (2)6 (3)81 (4)124 ATC -3.30 
			  (1)— (2)— (3)— (4)— FOM/FOA (5.9) 
			 Fire Fighter 480 13.20 48 108 14.90 
			 Gunner 1,630 10.40 144 225 7.50 
			 Movements Operator / Controller 860 2.20 34 73 3.90 
			 RAF Police 1,350 -5.60 84 172 4.40 
			 Staff Nurse (Registered General Nurse) 280 7 48 53 7.10 
			 Intelligence Analyst (Communications) 240 16.10 19 45 7.60 
			 Environmental Health Technician 40 16.70 7 9 2.40 
			 Radiographer 10 9.10 0 1 9.10 
			 Mess Manager / Steward 460 7.60 20 42 3.80 
			 Musician 150 14.30 15 21 1.90 
			 RAF Physical Training Instructor 490 5.20 33 21 3.60

Armed Forces: Separation

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the separation rate was for married personnel in each service in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) officers,  (b) other ranks and  (c) all ranks.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows annual divorce rates(1) for Army and RAF UK Regular Forces(2) personnel for each calendar year since 1997 up until the most recent data available, by officers and ranks. Naval service data are not available as the naval service groups 'separated', 'divorced' and 'widowed' together.
	(1 )Rates are calculated as a percentage of the average married strength during the calendar years. The term 'divorce' includes 'decree absolute' and 'marriage annulled'. It excludes 'decree nisi' and individuals who are separated.
	(2 )UK regular forces includes nursing services and excludes full-time reserve service personnel, Ghurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists. It includes trained and untrained personnel.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006( 1, 2) 
			  Army( 2)   
			 All (4)— (4)— 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.1 1.9 
			 Officers (4)— (4)— 0.9 1.1 0.9 1.4 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.1 
			 Ranks (4)— (4)— 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.9 2.7 2.7 2.4 2.1 
			
			  RAF   
			 All (4)— 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.9 (4)— 
			 Officers (4)— 1.0 0.9 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.5 (4)— 
			 Ranks (4)— 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.8 2.0 1.8 (4)— 
			 (1 )Figures for 2006 are for the most recently available 12 months which cover the period up to 1 December 2006. (2 )Following the phased introduction of a new personnel administration system, marital status data are no longer available. This table shows the most recently available data. (3 )For the years 1999, 2000 and 2001, annulments are excluded from the calculations for divorce rates, as the information was not available, however the remaining years do include annulments in their calculation. (4 )Denotes data are unavailable.  Note: Percentages are calculated from unrounded figures and are shown to one decimal place.

Armed Forces: Staff Turnover

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) inflow and  (b) outflow was of staff in each regional rehabilitation unit in each year since 2005.

Derek Twigg: The inflow and outflow of staff for the MOD's 15 RRUs is provided in the following table. The figures include staff deploying on, and returning back from, operational deployments.
	
		
			  RRU 
			   Inflow  Outflow 
			  Colchester   
			 2005 22 16 
			 2006 9 9 
			 2007 10 7 
			
			  Aldershot   
			 2005(1) n/k n/k 
			 2006 10 1 
			 2007 3 — 
			
			  Edinburgh   
			 2005 2 — 
			 2006 5 2 
			 2007 2 4 
			
			  Aldergrove   
			 2005 3 2 
			 2006 3 5 
			 2007 7 6 
			
			  Catterick   
			 2005 9 0 
			 2006 3 4 
			 2007 7 8 
			
			  Bulford   
			 2005 4 2 
			 2006 3 3 
			 2007 4 3 
			
			  Cranwell   
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 0 0 
			 2007 1 0 
			
			  Honington   
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 1 1 
			 2007 1 0 
			
			  Halton   
			 2005 1 1 
			 2006 2 2 
			 2007 2 1 
			
			  Portsmouth   
			 2005 1 1 
			 2006 4 3 
			 2007 1 1 
			
			  Plymouth   
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 4 6 
			 2007 4 5 
			
			  Headley Court   
			 2005 1 0 
			 2006 0 0 
			 2007 1 1 
			
			  Gutersloh   
			 2005 4 2 
			 2006 5 5 
			 2007 2 2 
			
			  Hohne   
			 2005 4 0 
			 2006 5 1 
			 2007 1 1 
			 (1) Figures are not known as the RRU was run by Sodexho Ltd. 
		
	
	The RRU facility at Lichfield currently consists of a Multi-Disciplinary Injury Assessment Clinic, staffed by members of the unit Medical Centre. Separate inflow/outflow figures for the rehabilitation element are therefore not available.

Armed Forces: Training

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have obtained civilian qualifications issued by his Department in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: No civilian qualifications were issued by the Ministry of Defence to armed forces personnel during the last five years. For the purposes of issuing civilian recognised qualifications, Defence only became a national awarding body in February 2008 and intends to start certification from July 2008.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, column 834W, on armed forces: uniforms, how much one complete set of Combat Soldier 95 uniform cost in each year since 2004.

Bob Ainsworth: There are nearly 200 NATO stock numbers that are classified as Combat Soldier 95, and what is issued varies according to the role of an individual, and therefore, there is no single figure available. However, the approximate basic uniform cost, comprising jacket, smock, trousers, cold weather shirt, vest, thermal liners, waterproof jacket, overtrousers, gloves and gaiters (and excluding items such as helmets, boots and socks) is as follows:
	
		
			   £ (excl. VAT) 
			  Year  Price 
			 2004(1) 152 
			 2005(1) 136 
			 2006(1) 130 
			 2007 132 
			 2008 130 
			 (1) Please note that some individual costs are not available for these years due to the transfer of contract. The price has therefore been assumed to be as per the next available year for the same item.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, column 834W, on armed forces: uniforms, how much has been paid to Cooneen Watts and Stone Ltd for the production of the Combat Soldier 95 uniform since 2004.

Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Cooneen Watts and Stone Ltd supply a large number of items to the MOD. Details of those items which form part of Combat Soldier 95 uniform are not recorded separately.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will re-evaluate the future rapid effect system project with particular reference to  (a) the delivery schedule,  (b) cost projections,  (c) vehicle reliability,  (d) the successful completion of all tests,  (e) excessive weight,  (f) excessive noise,  (g) limited visibility and  (h) reliability of the weapons system; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Piranha V was announced as the provisional preferred design for the future rapid effect system (FRES) utility vehicle on 8 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 39-40WS. This announcement followed completion of the MOD's assessment of the evidence gathered during the utility vehicle trials and the further work to fully understand the commercial implications of the three competing designs. It is because of our early recognition and understanding of many of the issues raised that we have decided to embark on a focused phase of risk reduction early in the FRES UV development to give the programme the very best chance of success.
	The selection decision was made by following the guiding principles of a competitive assessment to select a design that best met the Army's requirement for a combination of value for money through life, timely delivery, high performance and growth potential. In common with all defence procurement programmes, we will re-evaluate the performance, time and cost parameters of the FRES programme right up to the point at which we take the main investment decision.

AWE Burghfield

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what occasions his Department has asked AWE Burghfield to cease live nuclear work in the last 12 months; and for what reasons each such request was made.

Bob Ainsworth: There are no occasions when the Ministry of Defence has asked AWE Burghfield to cease live nuclear work.
	On 20 July 2007, AWE was affected by flooding resulting in temporary disruption. At that time, AWE plc., the nuclear site licensee, took a decision not to undertake live nuclear work until remedial work had been undertaken. This decision was made in consultation with the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and with Ministry of Defence officials, and was consistent with our planned operational programmes. Live working has now resumed.

Bombs

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how often CRV-7 weapons have been used in each year since 2000; and in which theatre they have been used.

Bob Ainsworth: CRV-7 rockets of various types have only been used operationally in Afghanistan since 2000. As of 21 April 2008, some 2,506 rockets have been fired by Apache helicopters since that capability was deployed to Afghanistan in August 2006 and, as of 29 April 2008, some 3,731 rockets have been fired by Harrier aircraft since that capability was deployed to Afghanistan in September 2004. In none of these operational engagements was the CRV-7 MPSM variant, which can deploy a small number of sub-munitions, employed.

Departmental Domestic Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions he has visited  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: Official visits in the last 12 months by MOD Ministers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are set out in the following table. Visits may last more than one day, and may contain several engagements. The Secretary of State has conducted visits to Scotland in his capacities both as Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Defence.
	
		
			   Scotland  Wales  Northern Ireland 
			 Secretary of State 29 0 1 
			 Minister (AF) 5 1 1 
			 Minister (DBS) 2 0 1 
			 USofS 3 2 0 
		
	
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on the most recent redesign and implementation of his departmental website.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence and armed forces collectively maintain four corporate websites. Redesign and implementation costs on these were as follows:
	
		
			  Website  URL  Cost (£)  Year  Note 
			 Ministry of Defence http://www.mod.uk/ 400,000 2005-06 Further enhancements to the site were made between June 2007 and April 2008 at a cost of £150,000 
			 Royal Navy http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/ 270,000 2006 The Royal Navy corporate website was re-launched on 6 February 2006. An additional refresh was carried out in 2007 of the front page, RN live & Global operation at a cost of £110,000. 
			 British Army http://www.army.mod.uk 266,500 2006-07 This is the first major redesign of the Army website since 1998. Launch is expected within the next few weeks. 
			 Royal Air Force http ://www.raf.mod.uk/ 119,579 2006-07 The redesign project was conducted through the Central Office of Information

Departmental Manpower

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were employed by the Ministry of Defence in the most recent year for which records are available.

Derek Twigg: The number of civilian personnel employed by the Ministry of Defence is published in Civilian Personnel Statistics 1 (CPS 1), "Civilian workforce by grade equivalence and budgetary employing area". A copy of the latest publication, as at 1 January 2008 can be found at:
	http://centre.defence.mod.uk/dasa/natstats/cps1/cps1tab1.html
	The next edition of CPS 1 is due to be released on 30 April 2008 containing figures as at 1 April 2008.
	The number of service personnel employed by the Ministry of Defence is published in Tri-Service Publication 1 (TSP 1), "Strength, intake and outflow of UK Regular Forces". A copy of the latest publication, as at 1 March 2008 can be found at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/natstats/tspl/gender.html
	The next edition of TSP 1 is due to be released on 22 May 2008 containing figures as at 1 April 2008.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what his Department's expenditure outturn, excluding the cost of operations, was in each year from 1992-93 to 2000-01;
	(2)  what his Department's expenditure outturn, excluding the cost of operations and the security and intelligence services, was in each year from 1979-80 to 1991-92;
	(3)  what in near cash terms the  (a) resource and  (b) capital outturn was for operating in (i) Afghanistan, (ii) Iraq and (iii) the Balkans in each year from 2001-02 to 2004-05.

Bob Ainsworth: MOD identifies the costs of operations in terms of the net additional costs it has incurred. The costs that the Department would have incurred regardless of the operation taking place, such as wages and salaries, are not included. Savings on activities that have not occurred because of the operation—training exercises for example—are taken into account in arriving at the net figures.
	The annual audited near cash figures (excluding indirect resource costs) for the costs of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans for the years 2002-03 to 2004-05 were as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Operational costs for Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans  Direct resource outturn  Capital outturn  Total near cash outturn 
			  Peacekeeping costs: 2004-05 817 174 991 
			  Of which:
			 Balkans (Bosnia/Kosovo) 75 2 77 
			 Afghanistan 58 9 67 
			 Iraq 684 163 847 
			 
			  Peacekeeping costs: 2003-04 1046 269 1315 
			  Of which:
			 Balkans (Bosnia/Kosovo) 94 - 1 93 
			 Afghanistan 34 10 44 
			 Iraq 918 260 1178 
			 
			  Peacekeeping costs: 2002-03
			  Of which:
			 Balkans (Bosnia/Kosovo) 133 20 153 
			 Afghanistan 224 75 299 
			 Iraq 556 218 774 
		
	
	Although resource accounts were published for 2001-02, MOD does not have a full breakdown of operational costs for that year. However, the total operational costs were as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Balkans (Bosnia/Kosovo) 235 
			 Afghanistan 221 
			 Iraq 0 
			 Total 456 
		
	
	The Department did not produce full accounts until the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) for the financial year 2001-02. Prior to this financial year, the Department's outturn was reported in the end of year Appropriations Accounts and Estimates reports, copies of which can be found in the Library of the House. Appropriations Accounts do not, however, separately identify the cost of operations or the costs of the security and intelligence services and this information is not held centrally and would be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Gibraltar: Armed Forces

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy vessels have visited Gibraltar in the last 12 months.

Bob Ainsworth: During the 12 month period (1 May 2007 to 30 April 2008), Royal Navy vessels have visited Gibraltar on 59 occasions. In addition (and for completeness), seven Royal Fleet Auxiliary Vessels have visited Gibraltar over the same period.

Gibraltar: Armed Forces

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tornado aircraft have been operating out of Gibraltar airport in the last 12 months.

Bob Ainsworth: No Tornado aircraft have operated out of Gibraltar in the last 12 months.

Gibraltar: Armed Forces

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Tornado aircraft are planned to continue operating out of Gibraltar over the next three years.

Bob Ainsworth: There are presently no plans for Tornado aircraft to operate out of RAF Gibraltar. However, RAF Gibraltar is capable and prepared to operate Tornado aircraft of all types and the MOD reserves the right to operate aircraft of all types from the station in accordance with Defence requirements.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2008,  Official Report, column 518W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, whether the members of the former Serious Crimes Unit of the Basra Police were ever in the custody of UK forces; and what information he has regarding their current location.

Des Browne: Some members of the Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) have been held in the custody of UK forces in Iraq, although we have no reason to believe that these included any of the individuals against whom arrest warrants have been issued. Those SCU members previously held by UK forces have now been released, as our in-theatre review process concluded that their internment was no longer deemed necessary for imperative reasons of security.
	I am withholding information relating to the current location of former members of the SCU as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq.

Des Browne: As I explained in my statement of 24 April 2008,  Official Report, column 107WS, UK force levels in southern Iraq will stay at around 4,000 following Iraqi-led operations to enforce the rule of law in Basra, and while military commanders continue to assess the changing situation on the ground. It remains our clear intention to reduce troop numbers in Iraq as and when conditions allow.

Military Decorations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what progress has been made in the implementation of the conclusions of the Joint Service Review of Honours and Awards;
	(2)  what consideration the Joint Service Review of Honours and Awards gave to  (a) gallant,  (b) meritorious and  (c) long-standing service for (i) regular and (ii) reserve forces; if he will place in the Library a copy of the Joint Service Review's report; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  when he plans to implement the conclusions of the Joint Service Review of Honours and Awards in respect of regular service personnel; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The MOD's Joint Service Review of Honours and Awards in 2000 made a number of recommendations. Details of these and their subsequent implementation are included in the final report. I am placing a copy of this report in the Library of the House.

Military Decorations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to introduce a regular forces service medal to recognise long service in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: There are no plans to introduce a regular forces service medal to recognise long service in the armed forces, though such matters are kept under review. This subject was reviewed in the 1990s as part of the Joint Service Review of Honours and Awards, which concluded that
	"The proposal that the existing Long Service and Good Conduct (LS&GC) medals should be replaced by an award open to all ranks of all three services was rejected [by the military Chiefs of Staff] in favour of 'no change'."
	Long service and good conduct is already recognised for non-commissioned members of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. Each of the three services of the armed forces has its own version of the LS&GC with differing regulations, though the standard of conduct is common to each service.

Military Decorations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to invite the Committee on Honours, Decorations and Medals to consider the introduction of a medal for international service for United Kingdom armed forces to replace those issued by international organisations; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: At the present time, there are no plans to introduce a new medal that would replace medals awarded for campaign service operations under the command of international organisations such as NATO, the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU). As with all medal policy issues, this matter is kept under review.

Navy: Medals

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will change the qualification criteria for a General Service Medal with Suez 'canal zone' clasp so that Navy personnel qualify for a medal after 30 days aggregated service.

Derek Twigg: There are no plans to seek to change the qualifying criteria for the 'canal zone' clasp to the Naval General Service Medal 1915-62.

Reserve Forces: NHS

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on encouraging more NHS staff to become reservists.

Derek Twigg: Defence Ministers have met their counterparts on a number of occasions where the subject of NHS reservists was discussed. Officials within the MOD and the UK Health Departments have further advanced this issue under the auspices of the MOD/UK Health Departments Partnership Board. The Partnership Board is currently exploring a number of ways in which NHS staff can be encouraged to become reservists. These include targeted MOD recruitment campaigns and the education of NHS employers on the benefits to the NHS, in terms of clinical and leadership skills, of their staff being members of the volunteer reserve.
	The MOD and the Department of Health are also developing the concept of sponsored medical reservists. The aim is to encourage specialist civilian clinicians to mobilise for a limited period within a deployed medical facility. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced our intentions in a speech in April at a dinner hosted by the Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers (SaBRE) organisation. The invited guests at the dinner consisted of NHS executives from NHS Trusts in the North-West. As part of his speech he also spoke of his support for NHS staff being members of the volunteer reserves and his hope that NHS employers would actively support staff who became reservists.
	I am appreciative of the support of the UK Health Departments and the NHS in taking this work forward.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Census

Mark Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what arrangements have been made for release of output area census data from the forthcoming census to businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: The information falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 15 May 2008:
	As National Statistician I am replying to your recent question asking what arrangements have been made for release of output area census data from the forthcoming census to businesses. (200843)
	A consultation on Small Area Geographies in England and Wales ran for three months up to the end of February 2007. Its aim was to inform thinking on the future policy for small area geographies for National Statistics, and specifically the way forward on the use of Output Areas (OAs) and Super Output Areas (SOAs). Informed by this consultation it has been decided that OAs in England and Wales will remain largely unchanged from the 2001 Census.
	Arrangements for the release of outputs from the 2011 Census are not yet finalised. No specific arrangements have yet been made with businesses, but consideration is being given to the requirements of commercial users of the data through ongoing consultation with user and advisory groups. Currently, an on-line consultation is being carried out to identify views and priorities from a variety of Census users, including business users, on high level output issues regarding data dissemination and media.

Civil Servants: Internet

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Cabinet Secretary provides to civil servants on the use of social networking sites and blogs.

Edward Miliband: The values and principles set out in the Civil Service Code apply to civil servants' use of online channels (such as blogs and social networking sites) as well as offline activity. Propriety guidance for Government communication also applies. Copies of both documents are in the Library of the House.
	In addition the Cabinet Office is also developing guidance for civil servants specifically on the use of social media (including blogs and social networking sites).

Departmental Written Questions

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many days it took on average to answer written parliamentary questions tabled by each hon. Member for answer by him in the last six months.

Edward Miliband: Information on the average number of days taken to answer parliamentary questions is not readily available in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what payments  (a) the Cabinet Office and  (b) its agencies have made to Ipsos MORI in the last 24 months; and for what purposes.

Phil Hope: The total paid to Ipsos MORI in the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2007 is £376,197. It is not possible to give details as to the purposes of the spend with Ipsos MORI without incurring disproportionate costs. It is for relevant Departments to account for work commissioned through the Central Office of Information (COI).

Northern Rock

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what statistics the UK Statistics Authority will be required to collate relating to Northern Rock.

Phil Hope: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 15 May 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question what statistics the UK Statistics Authority will be required to collate relating to Northern Rock. (204940).
	The Office for National Statistics, as the executive agency of the UK Statistics Authority, will not compile any statistics specifically about Northern Rock plc. It would be disclosive to present statistics on any entity that is competing in a market economy. As Northern Rock plc is active in the economy its relevant information is used in the National Accounts and in Labour Market statistics. While Northern Rock plc is classified as part of the public sector, its relevant information will be collated for inclusion in Public Sector Finances and Public Sector Employment statistics.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Food

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department is monitoring changes in dietary habits in regard to staple foods in  (a) developing and  (b) least developed countries; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) is monitoring changes in diet in developing and least developed countries. The Department does this in a number of different ways. We support global research by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and in particular the International Food Policy Research Institute. We support data gathering and analysis by the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). We liaise with our own in-country and regional offices and carry out our own analysis of CGIAR and FAO information.

European Union Global Climate Change Alliance

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support the Government plan to give to the European Union Global Climate Change Alliance.

Gareth Thomas: We welcome the European Commission's Global Climate Change Alliance, which aims to help poor developing countries most vulnerable to climate change to increase their capabilities to adapt to the effects of climate change and to have their voice better heard in the international climate change negotiations. We believe that the GCCA's proposal to pilot a programmatic approach to integrating climate resilience into development planning will help to provide valuable lessons for future adaptation responses. It is essential that this is well co-ordinated with other adaptation financing initiatives and is delivered in line with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. We look forward to reviewing the EC's working paper on the GCCA and will consider support once this has been presented to member states.

Iraq: Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government have taken on the development of education in Iraq since 2003.

Douglas Alexander: Since 2003, the Department for International Development (DFID) has not provided any direct financial assistance to develop the education sector in Iraq. However, we have contributed £70 million to the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI), which encompasses two trust funds administered by the United Nations and World Bank. 25 donors have committed over $1.8 billion to IRFFI since 2003. This money has been used to provide assistance to a range of sectors and development projects across Iraq, including projects to rehabilitate schools, provide essential text books and train Iraqi teachers.
	DFID's wider priority is to support the Iraqi Government to spend their considerable oil wealth more effectively—to provide sustained improvements to the lives of the Iraqi people. We are therefore working with both central and local government institutions to help them to manage and disburse their finances—which will give the Iraqi Government the ability to provide better public services and to take a lead in developing their own education system.

Iraq: Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government have taken to assist the Iraqi government in developing health care services since 2003.

Douglas Alexander: Since 2003, the UK has contributed a total of £70 million to the United Nations and World Bank Trust Funds for Iraq, which together are spending over $180 million to repair hospitals, train health care staff and improve nutrition. The UK has also contributed £5 million to the World Health Organisation, which has helped fund emergency medical supplies, supported clinics and hospitals in Baghdad and Basra, and supports the Government of Iraq's Health Sector Working Group.
	The UK has contributed £49 million to international agencies to support protection and emergency assistance activities in Iraq. This has included the provision of urgently needed medical supplies and improving health facilities, including physical rehabilitation and training for staff.
	Since 2003, the UK's financial assistance has helped contribute to the rehabilitation or equipping of over 1,000 health care facilities and the training of over 6,000 staff.
	In addition to DFID's financial assistance, the UK Department of Health is providing £5 million to fund the Iraqi Clinical Training Project—designed to update the skills of around 400 clinicians and managers in the Iraqi health service by providing eight-week training attachments in the UK. Initial feedback from the Iraqi Ministry of Health Inspectorate General is strongly positive in terms of the actions and impact that the returning clinicians have begun to make.
	DFID's wider priority is to support the Iraqi Government to spend their considerable oil wealth more effectively—to provide sustained improvements to the lives of the Iraqi people. We are therefore assisting both central and local government institutions to manage and disburse their finances—which will then allow the Iraqi Government to take a lead in improving their own health care services.

Iraq: Reconstruction

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Government have allocated to Iraq for reconstruction purposes since 2003.

Douglas Alexander: Since 2003, the UK Government have pledged £744 million for reconstruction and development for Iraq. So far, over £720 million of this has been disbursed, of which £532 million has been spent by the Department for International Development (DFID) (including EC contributions).

Smoking

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many smoking shelters were built at each of his Department's London buildings in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development has built no smoking shelters over the last five years.

JUSTICE

Bail Accommodation and Support Service

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many bail accommodation centres there are in each parliamentary constituency in England.

David Hanson: The Bail Accommodation and Support Service provided by ClearSprings provides rented housing for users, with a maximum of five sharing. At 2 May there were 157 houses available in England and Wales. The requirement is kept under review. The following table shows in which constituencies these were located:
	
		
			  Constituency  Number of houses 
			 Bath 1 
			 Batley and Spen 1 
			 Birmingham, Ladywood 4 
			 Birmingham, Perry Barr 3 
			 Blyth Valley 1 
			 Bolton, North East 1 
			 Bolton, West 1 
			 Bootle 1 
			 Bristol, East 2 
			 Broxbourne 1 
			 Burnley 1 
			 Bury, North 2 
			 Bury, South 1 
			 Chatham and Aylesford 1 
			 Corby 1 
			 Coventry, North West 1 
			 Croydon, Central 2 
			 Croydon, North 3 
			 Dagenham 2 
			 Derby, South 3 
			 Doncaster, North 1 
			 Dudley, North 2 
			 Dudley, South 1 
			 Durham, City of 2 
			 East Ham 2 
			 Edmonton 5 
			 Finchley and Golders Green 1 
			 Gloucester 1 
			 Great Grimsby 1 
			 Hackney, South and Shoreditch 1 
			 Hemsworth 1 
			 Heywood and Middleton 1 
			 Hornchurch 1 
			 Hornsey and Wood Green 1 
			 Huddersfield 1 
			 Ilford, South 1 
			 Ipswich 1 
			 Jarrow 1 
			 Kingston upon Hull, North 1 
			 Kingswood 1 
			 Leeds, East 1 
			 Leeds, North East 1 
			 Leicester, South 1 
			 Leicester, West 4 
			 Leigh 1 
			 Lewisham, East 1 
			 Lewisham, West 1 
			 Lincoln 1 
			 Liverpool, Wavertree 2 
			 Liverpool, West Derby 1 
			 Luton, North 2 
			 Luton, South 1 
			 Makerfield 1 
			 Manchester, Gorton 2 
			 Middlesbrough 2 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne, Central 1 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 2 
			 North East Derbyshire 1 
			 North West Cambridgeshire 2 
			 Northampton, North 4 
			 Northampton, South 1 
			 Norwich, North 1 
			 Norwich, South 3 
			 Nottingham, East 3 
			 Nottingham, North 1 
			 Oldham, East and Saddleworth 1 
			 Oxford, East 2 
			 Pendle 1 
			 Peterborough 2 
			 Plymouth, Sutton 2 
			 Portsmouth, North 1 
			 Portsmouth, South 2 
			 Preston 2 
			 Reading, East 3 
			 Rotherham 2 
			 Scunthorpe 1 
			 South Swindon 1 
			 Southampton, Itchen 2 
			 St. Helens, South 1 
			 Stockton, South 2 
			 Stoke-on-Trent, Central 2 
			 Stoke-on-Trent, North 2 
			 Stoke-on-Trent, South 1 
			 Streatham 2 
			 Sunderland, North 1 
			 Sunderland, South 1 
			 Tyne Bridge 2 
			 Walsall, North 2 
			 Walthamstow 1 
			 Wansbeck 1 
			 Warley 4 
			 Warrington South 1 
			 West Bromwich West 1 
			 West Lancashire 1 
			 Weston-Super-Mare 1 
			 Wolverhampton South West 1 
			 Wrekin, The 1

Departmental Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 982-3W, on departmental public participation, what action has been  (a) taken or  (b) planned as a result of the findings of each (i) survey, (ii) questionnaire and (iii) other service carried out in 2007-08.

Bridget Prentice: Pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 982-83W, a list which contains details of the action taken or planned in each case has been placed in the Library.

Electoral Register: Freedom of Information

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the marked electoral register is excluded from the disclosure provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Freedom of Information Act provides a general right to access information held by public authorities, subject to certain exemptions. The right of access under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is supplementary to the very many ways in which public authorities already provide information to members of the public. Under regulations made under the Electoral Administration Act 2006, the marked electoral register is available for people to inspect for one year after polling day, under the supervision of the Electoral Registration Officer, for research or electoral purposes. Copies of the marked electoral register may be supplied to certain authorised persons and bodies for research or electoral purposes.

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what payments his Department has made to Ipsos MORI since its establishment; and for what purposes.

Bridget Prentice: The following table shows departmental contracts with Ipsos MORI, with payment information and purpose, undertaken since 9 May 2007.
	
		
			  Payments made by MOJ to Ipsos MORI since 9 May  2007 
			Payments made (in total from 9 May 2007 to date) 
			  Name of project  Purpose of project  Incl. VAT (£)  Excl. VAT (£) 
			 HMCS Court User Survey To elicit levels of court user satisfaction with standards or customer service and other key service issues across the High Court, the Crown, county and magistrates courts and associated offices. (1)— (1)— 
			 
			 Witness and Victim Experience Survey To gather consistent and comparable local and national data on victim and witness satisfaction with criminal justice system agencies in cases that resulted in a prosecution. (1)— (1)— 
			 
			 Boosting public confidence in the CJS; inform, persuade Study to test out the impact of a targeted communication activity upon improving public confidence 19,740 16,800 
			 
			 Nottingham Community Justice public opinion poll Consultation to gauge public opinion of the criminal justice system in St. Ann's and Aspley via two telephone survey waves 37,600 32,000 
			 Survey on Tackling and Preventing Sexual Harassment To provide detailed picture of the incidence and nature of sexual harassment amongst prison staff and to assist the Prison Service to deliver on its commitment to tackle inappropriate behaviour. 38,431 32,708 
			 
			 Tribunal Service Customer Expectation Survey Survey originally in its third year of a contractual obligation with the former Appeals Service, it was adapted to cover a different purpose in testing customer perception and expectation across a number of jurisdictions. 43,475 37,000 
			 
			 Constitution Directorate tracker survey Periodic "tracker" survey to monitor public knowledge and opinion on a range of issues related to constitution, democracy and rights 59,355 50,515 
			 
			 Customer Satisfaction questionnaire To develop a questionnaire to survey complainants regarding customer satisfaction. 2,703 2,300 
			 
			 Stocktake of attitudinal data To inform the development the Criminal Justice System Strategic Plan 2008-11 through review of research and other published evidence on public attitudes to the criminal justice system. 5,552 4,725 
			 
			 Beacon Approach Evaluation To evaluate OCJR's new approach to working with Local Criminal Justice Boards 63,897 54,380 
			 
			 General Public Awareness of the Mental Capacity Act (Capibus survey) Determine baseline data on awareness of the Mental Capacity Act amongst the general public prior to implementation 26,179 22,280 
			 
			 Legal Professionals Awareness of the Mental Capacity Act (online survey) Determine baseline data on awareness of the Mental Capacity Act among legal professionals prior to implementation 9,165 7,800 
			 
			 Health and Social Care Professionals Awareness of the Mental Capacity Act (paper survey) Determine baseline data on awareness of the Mental Capacity Act among health and social care professionals prior to implementation 28,468 24,278 
			 
			 Office of Public Guardian and Court of Protection Customer Survey To provide quantitative baseline data on Office of Public Guardian and Court services as perceived by users. The results for the initial baseline survey will establish where improvements can/need to be made and will lay foundations to make improvements to the Office of Public Guardian and Court services, in addition to setting an appropriate Key Performance Indicator target for customer satisfaction. 30,528 25,981 
			 
			 Young Witness Workshop (YWW) Assistance in facilitating YWW 1,052 895 
			 
			 Statement of Purpose and DSO research Testing of language and understanding of Departmental Strategic Objectives 36,660 31,200 
			 
			 Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction To identify prisoners' needs and problems upon reception, the training and programmes they receive while in prison, and outcomes upon release. 401,217 341,462 
			 
			 Secondary Analysis of 2005 Citizenship Survey Development work with MOJ analysts and policy officials to identify need and scope for additional secondary data analysis of 2005 Citizenship Survey dataset possible research project 470 400 
			 (1) Costing information is not supplied as this is commercial in confidence. This survey is subject to periodic re-tendering and release of the costings would weaken the Department's negotiating position.

Life Imprisonment: Prisoners Release

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2008,  Official Report, column 485W, on life imprisonment: prisoners release, and with reference to the answer of 12 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1035W, on life sentences, for what reasons it was not possible to provide the information requested.

David Hanson: To provide the information requested would require data matching between different sources of information, and manual checking of individual records which could be carried out only at disproportionate cost. Data migration for the Department's new database is currently under way and will be subject to data quality assurance. I will write to the hon. and learned Member within the next few weeks, to provide the information that will be available from it, where relevant.

Prisoners: Uniforms

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance is in place on the wearing of uniforms by prisoners; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Prison rules allow unconvicted prisoners and civil prisoners to wear their own clothes. Other prisoners are required to wear clothing provided for them; however PSO 4000 provides guidance on the wearing of own clothes which is one of the key earnable privileges in the incentives and earned privilege scheme.

Prisons: Audio Equipment

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance is in force on the use of personal music systems by prisoners, with particular reference to permissible volume levels.

David Hanson: Guidance on prisoners' in-possession property is contained in PSO 1250 (a copy of which is in the Library) dependent on the local incentives and earned privileges scheme. Prisoners may be allowed to have in their possession a personal music system. This is at the discretion of the Governor dependant on good behaviour under the local incentives and earned privileges scheme. There is no central guidance with regard to permissible volume levels. It is a matter for local management and the discretion of staff to ensure that music does not disturb other prisoners, especially at night.

Prisons: Islam

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what institutional arrangements are in place for the aftercare of Muslim prisoners.

Jack Straw: All prisoners who serve 12 months or more are subject to a period of statutory supervision on release. Those sentenced to any period in custody who are under 21 years at the point of release will also be supervised by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) on a standard three-month licence.
	Prisoners on licence are seen by NOMS who assess and manage their risk and needs, such as accommodation, relationships, lifestyle, etc. The religious needs of prisoners are considered and treated with respect. Supervision is conducted in a way that is consistent with and responsive to the religious affiliation of the offender, and appointments are arranged at times that do not prevent attendance at religious events.

Prisons: Television

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many television sets are available for use by prisoners in prisons in England and Wales; and at what cost.

Jack Straw: The provision of televisions to prisoners has been devolved to Governors and Directors of contracted prisons, and therefore the total number of televisions available for use by prisoners is not held centrally. Public funds are not used to support the purchase of television sets used in cells. These costs are covered by the weekly rental paid by prisoners for the use of the sets. A cell television is only available through the incentives and earned privileges scheme.

Probation

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has received a copy of the Centre for Crime and Justice's report on probation resources, staffing and workloads from 2001 to 2008; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: I have received a copy of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies' Report (Probation Resources Staffing and Workloads 2001-2008) from Judy McKnight (General Secretary of NAPO).
	Earlier in the year, I announced an extra £40 million funding for the NFS. This was in addition to an extra average of 2.7 per cent. budget for each probation area and an average increase of 5.4 per cent. in respect of approved premises. Officials are working closely with NAPO and the other NFS trade unions on the broad issue of capacity and workloads.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the breach rate of acceptable behaviour contracts issued to persons under 18 years of age in the latest period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) are voluntary agreements and therefore not suitable for central data collection. A National Audit Office (NAO) report published in December 2006 found ABCs to be highly effective, particularly when agencies provided support to improve the recipient's chances of meeting the conditions.

Anti-Social Behaviour Orders: North West

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were breached in each parliamentary constituency in the north-west in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) became available in April 1999. Information on the number of ASBOs breached is not collected centrally at parliamentary constituency level and not compiled below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level.
	Currently, ASBO breach data are available for ASBOs breached between 1 June 2000 and 31 December 2006.
	The number of ASBOs breached in each year in each CJS area within the north-west region is shown in the following table. Please note that the table takes the data from those shown in Table 7 as published on the Crime Reduction website.
	
		
			  ASBOs issued in the north-west region proven in court to have been breached for the first time within the periods shown( 1)  by CJS area( 2)  from 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2006 
			  Region  2000-2002( 3)  2003  2004  2005  2006  Total 
			 North-west 57 184 367 514 391 1,513 
			 of which:   
			 Cumbria 2 15 23 24 30 94 
			 Greater Manchester 28 117 219 308 203 875 
			 Lancashire 15 28 52 80 78 253 
			 Merseyside 6 16 39 65 51 177 
			 Cheshire 6 8 34 37 29 114 
			 (1) ASBOs may be breached more than once and in more than one year. In this table ASBOs are counted once only within the period when they were first breached. (2) ASBOs may be issued in one area and breached in another. Breaches are counted in this table by area of ISSUE. (3) From 1 June 2000.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: OCJR court proceedings database

Assets Recovery Agency

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to ensure that staff due to be transferred from the Assets Recovery Agency to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) are assimilated on the same basis as staff previously transferred to SOCA from HM Revenue and Customs and the UK Immigration Service; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 10 March 2008
	The employment terms of SOCA officers are a matter in law for the director general of SOCA.
	I understand that the assimilation of ARA staff into SOCA was handled so as to be fair to both the ARA staff and existing SOCA staff, with staff fulfilling equivalent roles placed in the same grade. ARA staff were assimilated on terms which resulted in no one losing money and in pay increases with effect from 1 April 2008 for around 45 per cent. of ARA staff.
	Further, SOCA plans in the autumn of 2008 a job evaluation exercise for all its staff. This will ensure that initial gradings of former ARA staff were correct as well as addressing any remaining anomalies in the grading of existing SOCA staff.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department has given to  (a) police authorities and  (b) local authorities for the installation and operation of automatic number plate recognition systems in the last 12 months.

Vernon Coaker: During the 2007-08 financial year, the Home Office gave £186,983.25 in funding for the installation and operation of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems.
	This total is made up of the following amounts:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Durham Police Authority 81,373.25 
			 Kent Police Authority 100,000.00 
			 Merseyside Police Authority 5,610.00 
		
	
	In addition to this, from the funding devolved to them by the Home Office, the Government office for the south-west gave Cheltenham city council £35,000.

Crime: Schools

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to reduce crime in and around schools in  (a) England and  (b) Stockton.

Vernon Coaker: Nationally, the Government are committed to improving the life chances of children and young people, by having fewer young people affected by crime and reduce youth victimisation.
	The main initiative to tackle crime on and around school premises has been the Safer School Partnerships (SSPs) originally launched in 2002.
	SSPs are a successful mechanism for ensuring structured joint working between schools and police, to identify and support children and young people regarding as being at high risk of victimisation, offending and social exclusion. There are now about 500 SSPs of one form or another across the country. Evaluations have shown that they are proving effective in improving behaviour and attendance, developing strong and positive relationships between the police and young people, and to help young people develop a sense of being part of the local community.
	Because of the proven success of SSPs, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has been working closely with the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Youth Justice Board (YJB) to encourage more schools and police to engage in this type of early intervention and preventative work which is so vital to achieving the outcomes we are all committed to.
	There is already a great deal of work going on across Government to tackle offenders and help vulnerable young people achieve the Every Child Matters outcome to 'Stay Safe'. Initiatives include Youth Inclusion Support Panels and the Youth Inclusion Programme. And since 2004, we have invested over £45 million in Youth Offending Teams which have pioneered antisocial behaviour prevention activities for young people at most risk. Their work includes:
	Youth Inclusion Support Panels and;
	Youth Inclusion Programmes.
	The Home Office has invested in other prevention programmes such as Positive Futures. Around 22,000 young people are currently involved in Positive Futures projects nationwide.
	The Youth Taskforce has also been established at the Department for Children, Schools and Families to focus on delivering positive outcomes for young people. The Taskforce is focusing more on preventing teenagers from experiencing serious problems—such as being drawn into youth crime and antisocial behaviour.
	In Stockton, the AntiSocial Behaviour (ASB) team in Stockton borough council is working closely with schools to reduce crime in and around school premises. The ASB team consists of seconded police officers, a fire officer and council officers.
	The emphasis is very much on preventing crime in the first place and building relationships with young people before crimes are committed. Each ASB officer covers specific wards in Stockton and works closely with schools in their area. They visit schools in uniform to encourage young people not to accept crime and to report it when they do encounter it.
	Where there is a case of crime or antisocial behaviour in or around schools, the ASB officer will go and speak to the young person at school.
	Where appropriate, a form will be completed detailing what they have done and their parents will be informed.

Crimes of Violence: Sulphuric Acid

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of assaults were recorded in each year since 1997 where the assailant used sulphuric acid as a weapon; how many prosecutions were brought; and how many convictions resulted.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is not possible to identify assaults using sulphuric acid from either the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office or from the court proceedings data held by the Ministry of Justice.

Crimes of Violence: Uxbridge

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) crimes of violence against the person and  (b) burglaries were recorded in Uxbridge constituency in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 21 April 2008
	Statistics are not collected specifically on a constituency basis. The Home Office does publish statistics at crime and disorder reduction partnership (CDRP) area level. The number of offences of violence against the person and burglaries for each of the last five years by CDRP is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/cdrpog.xls.
	Also available is a look-up table that identifies which constituencies are associated with CDRPs. In many instances, a CDRP may comprise of more than one constituency. Conversely, some constituencies will come within two or more CDRPs, either wholly or partially. The look-up table is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/cdrp-constituency-table.xls.
	Copies of both the statistics table and the look-up table are available in the Library.

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 785W, on translation costs, how much was spent on translating her Department's publications into languages other than English in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2006-07 and  (e) 2007-08.

Vernon Coaker: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 28 April 2008,  Official Report, column 108W.

Domestic Violence

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of domestic violence were reported to the police in  (a) England and  (b) Wales in each of the last three years, broken down by region.

Vernon Coaker: Data on the number of domestic violence incidents reported to the police in England and Wales are collected as part of a Statutory Performance Indicator, over the past three years under the Police Performance Assessment Framework.
	The number of domestic violence incidents for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 broken down by police force area in England and Wales is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of reported domestic violence incidents 
			   Incidents 
			  Force area  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 14,537 14,714 15,532 
			 Bedfordshire 7,486 7,800 7,341 
			 Cambridgeshire (1)— 7,081 7,501 
			 Cheshire 4,115 6,709 5,161 
			 City of London 102 83 96 
			 Cleveland 9,689 12,493 6,083 
			 Cumbria 5,568 3,809 4,372 
			 Derbyshire 14,761 12,159 11,818 
			 Devon and Cornwall 20,123 21,417 22,828 
			 Dorset 4,016 4,962 5,458 
			 Durham 8,904 8,218 8,163 
			 Dyfed Powys 3,890 3,895 3,871 
			 Essex 14,399 10,785 15,225 
			 Gloucestershire (2)6,236 6,693 8,237 
			 Greater Manchester 56,778 60,977 64,727 
			 Gwent 4,329 4,787 6,757 
			 Hampshire 18,787 (1)— 22,682 
			 Hertfordshire 12,783 10,514 10,926 
			 Humberside 7,519 12,500 12,752 
			 Kent 18,321 19,464 19,087 
			 Lancashire 22,514 22,020 22,217 
			 Leicestershire 3,375 12,935 9,918 
			 Lincolnshire 7,117 5,965 4,912 
			 Merseyside 17,605 23,292 25,568 
			 Metropolitan Police 60,838 59,905 69,438 
			 Norfolk 5,813 8,008 7,893 
			 North Wales 1,551 4,819 10,188 
			 North Yorkshire 4,660 4,276 5,986 
			 Northamptonshire 7,012 2,818 7,850 
			 Northumbria 22,879 22,871 24,277 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,149 15,279 17,534 
			 South Wales 14,797 16,791 15,421 
			 South Yorkshire 5,225 6,276 17,825 
			 Staffordshire 6,714 16,234 18,659 
			 Suffolk 5,515 5,532 4,314 
			 Surrey 11,563 12,498 11,742 
			 Sussex 15,604 14,710 14,374 
			 Thames Valley 14,884 18,124 16,391 
			 Warwickshire 3,455 908 6,932 
			 West Mercia 8,486 11,684 12,799 
			 West Midlands 33,667 38,333 40,233 
			 West Yorkshire 34,914 34,857 34,481 
			 Wiltshire 9,067 6,710 6,600 
			 Total(3) 547,511 593,905 664,169 
			 (1) Data not provided by force (2) January 2004 to December 2004 (3) Excluding unavailable data

Human Trafficking

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) convictions were secured and  (b) how many sentences were passed, broken down by category, as a result of Operation Pentameter 2.

Vernon Coaker: From an interrogation of the police national computer as of 12 May there have been a total of 86 convictions for human trafficking since the introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The number of convictions and range of sentences arising from Pentameter 2 is not yet known given that the operation is still ongoing and that cases are at various stages of the criminal justice system.

Internet: Crime

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she has issued to police forces on the establishment of courts to deal with e-crime.

Vernon Coaker: The UK prosecutes on the basis of the offence committed, rather than the medium used. These is no offence of 'e-crime' but there are serious crimes committed by means of computers.
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Organised Crime Division (OCD) prosecutes cases which are investigated by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). The CPS is finalising a protocol with Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) which will be issued by the Senior Presiding Judge. This protocol will provide for Designated Court Centres (DCC) for SOCA cases which are prosecuted by OCD. This will be an effective way to manage the prosecution of these cases which are typically multi handed, voluminous and raise complex and specialist issues of law. The process of designating court centres will take into account geographical factors and the size, security and facilities at court centres. The DCC, coupled with consistent judicial oversight of the management of these cases will help to ensure that justice is delivered swiftly and effectively without undue delay.
	The protocol will apply to all SOCA cases that are prosecuted by OCD including cases involving e-crime.

Mugging

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons over 65 years old were subject to street robbery in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley district and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not collected centrally. While the Home Office collects statistics on recorded offences of robbery it is not possible to determine the age of the victim or the location of the offence from this data.

Offenders: Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sex offenders were subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: All sex offenders who become subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 are subject to the multi-agency public protection arrangements. The figures for the number of sex offenders subject to the notification requirements are provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Total number of registered sex offenders 
			 2004-05 28,994 
			 2005-06 29,983 
			 2006-07 30,416

Pornography: Internet

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with credit card companies to prevent the purchase of child abuse pictures over the internet.

Vernon Coaker: APACS, the UK payments association, on behalf of their members contribute funds to support the operation of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) Hotline as does another credit card entity who is not a member of APACS. The IWF works in partnership with law enforcement agencies and individual credit card companies by sharing information with them to assist their operations designed to tackle the commercialisation of indecent images of children. APACS played a key role in supporting a change in data protection legislation in 2006 which ensures that where paedophiles have used credit or debit cards to access child abuse images online, law enforcement can share that information with card providers so that they can terminate the contract and take away the card used.

Proceeds of Crime

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 212-6W, on proceeds of crime, how many confiscation orders were not successfully enforced, broken down by police force area in each month of the last year.

Vernon Coaker: The information is not available. Confiscation orders are made with time to pay and are often paid over several months. Enforcement in some cases does not relate to police force areas. Enforcement is primarily the responsibility of Her Majesty's Courts Service.

Tranquillisers: Rehabilitation

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons involuntary tranquilliser addicts are not included in the drug strategy.

Vernon Coaker: The Drug Strategy is focused on illegal drugs and the most dangerous drugs, including class A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine. The reason for this is that illegal drugs cause significant and wide ranging problems to individuals, families and communities, including drug-related crime and health harms. class A drug use generates an estimated £15.4 billion in crime and health costs each year and between a third and a half of acquisitive crime is estimated to be drug related. Due to this, the new strategy focuses on achieving a long-term and sustainable reduction in the harms associated with illegal drugs.
	The mechanisms by which individuals may develop dependency and, therefore, the means by which such dependency may be tackled, differ in the cases of illegal drugs and legally prescribed drugs. For example, interventions to limit the supply of illegal drugs would be inappropriate to deal with prescription drugs. Similarly, the harms caused by prescription drugs differ from those generated by illegal drug use. The latter give rise to predominantly crime and social harms, whereas prescription drugs give rise to health harms and, indeed, health harms requiring interventions other than those employed in the treatment of dependency on illegal drugs such as crack cocaine and heroin. For these reasons, it would be inappropriate for prescribed tranquillisers to be subject to the measures set out in the strategy to tackle the harms caused by illegal drug use.

TREASURY

Bank Services: Disadvantaged

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to encourage banks to offer banking facilities in deprived areas.

Kitty Ussher: The Government continue to work in partnership with banks and other financial services providers to ensure a full range of mainstream financial services are available to people living in deprived areas.
	Since 2004 the Government and the banking industry have had a shared goal of halving the number of people without access to any kind of bank account. The Family Resource Survey data for 2005-06 showed encouraging progress against this goal—800,000 adults brought into banking since 2002-03—60 per cent. of progress towards the shared goal.
	In December 2007 the Government also announced that 337 new, free to access cash machines are now operating in low income areas as defined by the ATM Working Group (since December 2006), with a further 206 due to be installed in the first half of 2008. These 543 new free cash machines will benefit around 1.2 million residents, who will no longer need to pay charges or travel outside their community to withdraw cash.
	To increase the availability of affordable credit the Government also announced a commitment from the banking industry to support new third sector lending provision in 25 high priority areas identified by the Financial Inclusion Taskforce.

Bankruptcy

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many enforcement cases brought by HM Revenue and Customs involved taxpayers being declared bankrupt in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by level of claims made.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff worked in the  (a) escalating cases team and  (b) intermediaries team of group 33 on tax credits in each year since it was established; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Group 33 in Tax Credit Office (TCO) was formed towards the end of 2004-05 to handle referrals from HM Revenue and Customs Contact and Enquiry Centres and to manage the dedicated helpline for intermediaries in the voluntary sector. This is now known as the Escalated Cases and Intermediaries Team. It is not possible to isolate the number of staff allocated to each task as TCO deploys its resources according to demand. The average number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff allocated to these two tasks in each full year was:
	
		
			   Average FTE 
			 2005-06 65 
			 2006-07 53 
			 2007-08 45 
		
	
	The reduction in the number of FTE staff reflects the general reduction in the number of cases being escalated by the Tax Credits Helpline.

Financial Services: Pay

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2008,  Official Report, column 142-3W, on financial services: pay, what guidance his Department has issued to the remuneration committees of those banks and financial institutions in receipt of financial support from the public purse.

Kitty Ussher: Further to my earlier answer, it is sensible to ensure that remunerations are based on merit and support the delivery of agreed objectives.
	The Northern Rock Shareholder Relationship Framework Document published on 31 March 2008, a copy of which is available in the Library, set out how those principles will apply in relation to Northern Rock during the present period of temporary public ownership (see paragraphs 9 to 12).

Gaming Machines: Licensing

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much was received in amusement machine licence duty in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07, broken down by category of machine;
	(2)  how much was received in amusement machine licence duty in each month from April 2007 to March 2008, broken down by category of machine;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of likely revenue from amusement machine licence duty in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11, broken down by category of machine.

Angela Eagle: The total annual and monthly receipts from amusement machine licence duty can be found in the HM Revenue and Customs Betting and Gaming Statistical Bulletin, which is available from the HMRC website address at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullbett
	Information on amusement machine licence duty broken down by category of machine is not available.
	Disaggregated estimates for individual duties within the overall revenue forecast for betting and gaming duties are not available. The most recent published forecast for betting and gaming duties can be found in Table C6 of the latest Financial Statement and Budget Report, at the following link:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/7/3/bud08_chapterc.pdf

Gaming Machines: Licensing

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many applications for amusement machine licences were received in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07, broken down by category of machine;
	(2)  how many applications for amusement machine licences were received in each month between April 2007 and March 2008, broken down by category of machine;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of applications for amusement machine licences in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11, broken down by category of machine.

Angela Eagle: Premises licences can authorise machines in more than one category. It is not possible to break down the number of licences by category of machine.
	HMRC do not maintain historical records or produce forecasts of numbers of applications received. The numbers of licences issued for the historic periods in question are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003-04 136,462 
			 2004-05 127,938 
			 2005-06 123,702 
			 2006-07 140,278 
		
	
	
		
			   Number 
			 April 2007 8,165 
			 May 2007 8,508 
			 June 2007 8,911 
			 July 2007 10,000 
			 August 2007 29,370 
			 September 2007 9,901 
			 October 2007 9,648 
			 November 2007 16,757 
			 December 2007 7,144 
			 January 2008 8,002 
			 February 2008 11,405 
			 March 2008 10,198

Interest Rates

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on decisions of banks and building societies on whether to pass on interest rate changes to customers.

Kitty Ussher: The Chancellor receives representations from a wide range of stakeholders on issues relating to the bank and building society sector.
	Decisions concerning products and pricing are commercial decisions for banks and building societies.
	In order to strengthen support for home owners facing difficulties with their mortgage payments, the Government—working with the mortgage industry—announced on 9 May, a range of measures including improved access to debt advice.

National Savings and Investments: Telephone Services

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the performance of National Savings and Investment's telephone service; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: NS&I have two service delivery measures (SDMs), set by HM Treasury, relating to overall customer service. For 2006-07, the last year for which there are currently audited results, these were:
	To achieve consistent accuracy in meeting increasingly challenging targets; and
	To achieve consistent timeliness in meeting increasingly challenging targets.
	Performance against these measures is assessed through measurement of average performance against key performance indicator targets. This includes assessment of the standard of the NS&I telephone service, which is monitored regularly against monthly key performance indicators.
	The target for the NS&I inquiry line is that 90 per cent. of delivered, answerable calls should be answered and for the sales line that 90 per cent. of delivered calls should be answered within 20 seconds of becoming answerable. Latest data available demonstrates that these targets were comfortably exceeded.

Pre-School Education: Finance

Susan Kramer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he plans his Department will spend on extending the universal early years education entitlement to 15 hours per week in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	The extension of the free entitlement will enhance the opportunities available to every three and four year old, giving them the best possible start in life. Providing 15 more flexible hours will also ensure that families are able to use the entitlement in a way which best helps them to balance work and family life.
	The Government invest more than £3 billion per year in the existing entitlement. In addition, the extension to the free entitlement is being funded through a new investment of £590 million over 2008-11 (£80 million in 2008-09, £170 million in 2009-10 and £340 million in 2010-11.
	Funding beyond 2011 will, of course, be a matter for future spending reviews.

Public Expenditure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the figures in tables 1.7 and 1.10 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2008, HC489, 2007-08, are presented gross or net of operating and non-operating appropriations in aid.

Yvette Cooper: The figures in tables 1.7 and 1.10 are presented net of income treated as negative DEL. Operating and non-operating appropriations in aid is an Estimates term. Budgeting treatment does not follow from the Estimates treatment; this is explained in the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, which can be viewed at the following link:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/4/1/consolidated_budguid010208.pdf

Public Expenditure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to tables 1.7 and 1.10 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2008, HC 489, if he will provide a breakdown of the equivalent figures for 2001-02 on the same basis.

Yvette Cooper: Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (PESA) 2007, CM7091, provides data for 2001-02. However data for 2001-02 have since been archived, and due to Machinery of Government and Classification changes, data for 2001-02 are not available on the same basis as the data provided in PESA 2008.

Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what target he has set HM Revenue and Customs on the time taken to reply to correspondence from hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC aim to reply to 80 per cent. of all correspondence within 15 working days, and 95 per cent. within 40 days. Hon. Members can use the dedicated hotlines that HMRC have in place for specific issues, such as the 'MP hotline' for telephone queries regarding hon. Members' constituents' tax credits claims.

Transfer Pricing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department deal with transfer pricing matters as their main responsibility.

Jane Kennedy: At the present time, the number of staff in HMRC who deal with transfer pricing as their main responsibility is 67.

Valuation Office: Wales

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of extending the Automated Valuation Model of the Valuation Office Agency to Wales is.

Jane Kennedy: No separate cost has been determined.

VAT: Sports

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the VAT treatment of sports and leisure trusts; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: As provided for by our European VAT agreements, the supply of sporting services is exempt from VAT when supplied by non-profit making organisations such as sports and leisure trusts.
	However this VAT exemption applies only to sporting services and cannot extend to the use of saunas, steam rooms, or to season tickets which entitle customers to use both sports and other, non-sporting, facilities. Such supplies have been subject to VAT since 1973 when the tax was introduced.
	HM Revenue and Customs is aware that a number of organisations have been applying the VAT rules in this area incorrectly, and published Revenue and Customs Brief 50/07 in July 2007 to clarify the matter. However, this brief did not change any of the VAT rules, nor did it impose VAT on supplies that were properly exempt from VAT.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 March 2008,  Official Report, column 722W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Clive Efford).

Welfare Tax Credits: Fraud

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 25 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2313W, on welfare tax credits, when David Wilshaw and Nancy Stevenson first made a fraudulent tax credit claim; and when fraud was first detected in any of their claims.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Press Notice issued by HM Revenue and Customs on 10 April and available at:
	http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=365227&NewsAreaID=139&NavigatedFromSearch=True
	Information not included in the Press Notice or disclosed in Court remains confidential.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many appeals have been lodged under the single payment scheme appeal procedure since its inception; and how many appeals have been upheld.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Single Payment Scheme Appeal Procedure has two stages. Stage 1 is an internal review of the case by the Rural Payments Agency. If customers are dissatisfied with the outcome they can take the case to Stage 2 where an Independent Appeal Panel reviews the case and makes a recommendation to Ministers. Ministers take the final decision to uphold or reject the appeal.
	At 13 May 2008 901 Stage 1 appeals had been considered of which 318 were successful or partially successful. At Stage 2 the Minister had made his decision on 156 appeals of which 12 were successful.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of Single Farm Payments due in 2007 has been paid.

Jonathan R Shaw: Payments made under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) total £1.255 billion, which is 86.5 per cent. of the estimated total fund of £1.45 billion. 97,809 customers have received a full SPS payment for the 2007 scheme, representing 91.7 per cent. of the estimated total claimant population of 106,700.

Animal Welfare

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the introduction of cost and responsibility sharing for animal health; and what annual savings he expects this to generate for his Department.

Jonathan R Shaw: A consultation on responsibility and cost sharing for animal health and welfare closed on 15 April. A further public consultation on fully costed proposals is planned for this autumn.

Animals: Exports

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many live  (a) cattle,  (b) horses,  (c) sheep and  (d) ponies were exported from the UK in each of the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The number of cattle, horses, ponies, sheep and goats exported from the UK in each of the last three years can be found in the following table:
	
		
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 Cattle 0 152,754 193,309 
			 Horses and ponies  (a) 6,519 5,931 8,090 
			 Sheep and goats  (b) 314,136 293,233 208,464 
			 Total 320,655 451,918 409,863 
		
	
	 (a) These figures are based on animal health certification and the animal health conditions for horses and ponies are the same. Therefore, the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) makes no distinction between the species so they are combined. In addition, the Tripartite agreement between the UK, France and the Republic of Ireland means that horses that move between these countries do not need a health certificate and as such we do not have records of these movements.
	 (b) It is not possible to separate sheep from goats for all years so they are combined.
	These figures are based on the number of animals which, following official veterinary inspection, were shown to have met the rules for intra-community trade. Actual numbers traded may be less (as some animals may not be loaded on vehicle). They represent trade from the UK to other EU member states (excluding Switzerland, Norway, UK-UK trade, Channel Islands, transit to third countries, and including/excluding Romania/Bulgaria depending on year).

Beekeeping: Research

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research projects on beekeeping have been funded by his Department in the last five years; what bids for funding for such research projects his Department has not accepted during that period; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following projects have been funded by DEFRA in the last five years.
	
		
			  Project  From  To  Cost (£) 
			 HH0817THB: The control of exotic bee diseases and their likely interactions with UK conditions 2001 2004 330,000 
			 HH0819SHB: Fungal control of Varroa jacobsoni (destructor) 2002 2006 383,802 
			 HH3126SHB: Evaluation of TaqMan real-time PCR for detection of Aethina tumida (Small Hive Beetle) 2005 2005 14,348 
			 HH3223SHB: Minimisation of oxytetracycline levels in honey after antibiotic treatment 2003 2004 25,000 
			 HH3234SHB: Optimisation of detection methods for Melissococcus plutonius (European foulbrood, EFB) 2005 2005 10,101 
			 HH3235SHB: Honey bee virus detection and discrimination 2005 2005 25,233 
			 HH3815SHB: A promotional publication summarising the DEFRA Bee Health Research and Development activity over 10 years 2004 2005 9,920 
			 PH0410: The taxonomy of UK and exotic honey bee viruses: a molecular approach (PhD Fellowship) 2007 2010 81,248 
			 PH0502: Assessing the effectiveness of the shook swarm method for controlling European Foul Brood 2006 2008 185,393 
			 PH0503: Development of a monitoring system for the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Murray) 2006 2008 225,772 
			 PN0936: The effects of endocrine disrupters on honeybee populations 2001 2004 86,148 
			 PN0945: Assessing the impact of mixtures of pyrethroids and fungicides on honeybees 2001 2004 55,718 
			 PS2322: Assessment of the risk posed to honeybees by systemic pesticides 2005 2007 46,104 
			 VM02140: Investigation of the fate of veterinary drugs used in apiculture 2004 2007 180,589 
			 VM02156: Investigation into the experimental protocols required to determine Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) in honey: Preliminary study using organic acids as model compounds to propose ways in which withdrawal times might be calculated 2007 2010 287,083 
		
	
	We do not have full records of bids that were not funded in the last five years. With respect to the last two years, there was a bid for a three-year project to develop management strategies for small hive beetle which was not funded although a shorter project to develop a monitoring system for the small hive beetle is ongoing. There was also an outline proposal but no formal bid for a project to build upon previous DEFRA funded work to develop a biological control product for the varroa mite. This project is still being discussed; a decision has yet to be made about whether this work will be funded.

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research he has commissioned into the relationship between tuberculosis in animals and human strains of the disease.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has not commissioned any recent research into the relationship between bovine TB in animals and TB in humans. The risk of humans contracting  Mycobacterium bovis ( M. bovis) infection from cattle in Great Britain is considered low due to robust human health controls (cattle surveillance and slaughter of infected animals; controls on milk and meat; occupational health controls; and Government Departments and agencies working together to monitor the situation). The majority of cases of tuberculosis in humans are caused by a different organism,  Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
	At present, less than 1 per cent. of all confirmed cases of TB in humans are due to infection with  M. bovis. In these cases, the Health Protection Agency carries out epidemiological investigations into the source and route of transmission of the infection. Most  M. bovis infections identified in Britain in the present day have been picked up abroad or prior to the introduction of widespread pasteurisation of milk.
	DEFRA monitors all cases of  M. bovis in humans to assess the implications for animal health controls.

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence he has considered on the relationship between the size of herds and the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have considered a range of evidence relating to risk factors which may increase the likelihood of TB in cattle herds. An association between increased herd size and an increased risk of TB herd breakdown, and persistence of infection, has been reported by several recent studies in the scientific literature. However, the relationship is not straightforward. Testing more animals is likely to result in an increased probability of obtaining a positive test result in the herd, and herd size may be a proxy for other management-related risk factors such as herd turnover rates and stocking density, farm enterprise factors, and risks from foodstuffs.

Carbon Emissions: Retail Trade

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will discuss with representatives of the retail sector the effect on energy use of the practice of high street stores leaving their doors open to attract customers.

Phil Woolas: The Carbon Trust, which receives funding from DEFRA, runs the UK's main energy efficiency advice programme for business and the public sector, providing tailored advice to retailers about reducing their energy use including the implications of keeping shop doors open during cold weather. The Carbon Trust's publication aimed at retailers: "Retail—Energy management—the new profit centre for retail businesses" (CTV001) contains a wide range of advice to help retailers cut their energy costs and includes a section entitled "Open door policy?" This addresses the issue of heat loss caused by open doors, recommending that retailers keep external doors open only at busy times or install automatic or revolving doors or a draught lobby.
	The Carbon Trust is also working with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) to support its new Climate Change initiative 'A Better Retailing Climate' which details the BRC's commitment to lowering emissions across the retail sector through a suite of initiatives, including reducing emissions from buildings by 15 per cent. by 2013.

Departmental Contracts

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what security checks are carried out on civilian contractors working in his Department's establishments.

Jonathan R Shaw: All contractors who need unescorted access to DEFRA buildings, access to computer systems, information and other assets are subject to checks in accordance with the Cabinet Office Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Contractors complete a form and give proof of their identity. When identity documents have been checked and a legal right to work in this country has been established then random criminal records checks are made. Some contractors are subject to Counter Terrorism Checks and higher levels of security clearance.

Departmental Translation Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent by his Department on translation and interpretation services in 2007-08, broken down by language.

Jonathan R Shaw: The translation section of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs commissioned freelance translations to the value of £31,957.59 on behalf of DEFRA and its executive agencies in the financial year 2007-08. The language breakdown was as follows (includes translation both from and into the foreign language):
	
		
			  Language  Cost (£) 
			 French 9,468.72 
			 Welsh 8,864.60 
			 Portuguese 1,790.40 
			 German 1,748.34 
			 Russian 1,474.78 
			 Japanese 1,410.00 
			 Danish 809.80 
			 Spanish 751.58 
			 Chinese 716.85 
			 Italian 674.89 
			 Turkish 534.63 
			 Dutch 419.48 
			 Polish 402.95 
			 Ukrainian 352.75 
			 Hindi 323.13 
			 Czech 315.08 
			 Korean 282.00 
			 Hungarian 205.63 
			 Lithuanian 199.75 
			 Moldavian 117.53 
			 Serbian 111.63 
			 Arabic 88.13 
			 Bosnian 88.13 
			 Croatian 88.13 
			 Bulgarian 82.25 
			 Estonian 82.25 
			 Finnish 82.25 
			 Latvian 82.25 
			 Romanian 82.25 
			 Slovak 82.25 
			 Slovene 82.25 
			 Swedish 82.25 
			 Greek 60.68 
		
	
	Interpretations are commissioned on an ad hoc basis by individual DEFRA business units out of delegated budgets. Information on interpretations is not held centrally and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

Dogs: Electric Shock Equipment

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research he has commissioned on the  (a) effectiveness,  (b) efficacy and  (c) ethics of using electric shock collars on dogs.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have recently commissioned a research project to assess the effect of electronic training aids on the welfare of dogs. The research is due to be completed in 2010.
	We have also asked the Companion Animal Welfare Council, an advisory body on companion animal welfare matters, to undertake an independent study of available evidence on the use of these electronic training aids to complement our funded study.

Environment Agency: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Environment Agency's net receipts from contingency fees were in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency does not have contingency fees.

Farms

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what records his Department holds on the average cost of farmland in different parts of England.

Jonathan R Shaw: Agricultural land sales transactions data for Government Office Regions (GOR) in England supplied by the Valuations Office Agency (VOA) is available to the end of 2004. For this dataset some county level information is available though this is dependent on the number of transactions in a given period. Subsequent to 2004, trends in land sales across GORs have been monitored through the VOA property market reports and RICS rural land market survey. Additionally, the Farm Business Survey (commissioned by DEFRA on an annual basis) records the value of land on farms in England as part of its measurement of farm assets.

Fisheries

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether  (a) UK and  (b) other EU member states' fishing vessels are permitted to engage in pair-trawling in the six to 12 mile band of UK waters; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of pair-trawling in UK waters on  (a) bass and  (b) dolphins; and what steps he plans to take to reduce adverse effects.

Jonathan R Shaw: In 2004 we banned pelagic pair trawling for bass by UK vessels within 12 miles of the south west coast of England (within ICES area VIIe) as this fishery was shown to have relatively high levels of cetacean by-catch. Other bass fisheries, such as gillnetting and hand lining, and pair trawl fisheries targeting other species have not been affected.
	The UK asked that the ban on pelagic pair trawling for bass be extended to the vessels of other member states, who are currently permitted to fish between six and 12 miles off the south west English coast (under Article 9 of Council Regulation EC No. 2371/2002), but this was turned down by the European Commission. We could therefore only take unilateral action for our own vessels out to 12 miles.
	There is ongoing research funded by the Department and carried out by the Sea Mammal Research Unit to monitor by-catch in all relevant UK fishery sectors, including the bass pair trawl fishery, and to research by-catch mitigation measures in order to identify measures that are effective at deterring cetaceans over the long-term and that are safe and cost-effective for the industry. Further analysis of the effectiveness of the 12 mile ban of sea bass pair trawling will be undertaken as further data becomes available.
	The scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in 2004, based on analytical assessments of UK inshore bass stocks, suggest that the bass stock is fished sustainably. Updated assessments have been carried out by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), in 2006 and 2008. These confirm the earlier assessment indicating that current levels of both bass landings and biomass are high.
	The 2007 UK report to the European Commission on observed cetacean by-catch levels in certain fisheries, as required by Council Regulation (EC) 812/2004, includes estimates of common dolphin and harbour porpoise by-catch in the south-west for 2005 and 2006 in gillnet, tangle net and bass mid-water pair trawls. The UK is not due to report to the European Commission on 2006-07 observed by-catch levels until June. It is for each member state to monitor by-catch on their own vessels and submit their findings to the European Commission.

Fisheries: Fuels

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to assist UK fishermen to meet rising fuel costs; what other measures to assist fishermen with fuel costs would be permissible under EU rules; and what benchmarking his Department has undertaken of UK assistance on fuel prices to fishermen against measures taken by other EU member states.

Jonathan R Shaw: The emphasis of any assistance to the fishing industry should be on building a sustainable future. I am, therefore, considering what steps can be taken to help the industry adapt to the changing environment including, increased fuel costs, and am meeting with industry representatives to discuss this. Among the considerations will be the relative competitiveness of the fleet compared to other member states.
	Some of these steps can be funded under the European Fisheries Fund; other aid can be granted up to the de minimis limit for state aid set out in Commission Regulation 875/2007.

Floods: EU Grants and Loans

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether state aid rules apply to monies dispensed from the European Solidarity Fund to address problems faced by farmers as a result of recent severe flooding.

Phil Woolas: Monies received from The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) are not subject to European Agricultural State Aid rules. EUSF funds are specifically to help member states meet the uninsurable costs to public bodies of dealing with natural disasters and are not for use in any sector-specific support measures that may threaten to distort the market and would therefore require state aid clearance.

Food

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will commission research on the effects of activities thought to contribute to anthropomorphic climate change, including overgrazing and deforestation, on trends in the levels of global food prices; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department recognises the effects of climate change, and activities thought to contribute to climate change, across the range of its portfolio and research is ongoing in these areas.

Food

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will commission research on the effects of G8 agricultural subsidies on trends in global food prices; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Trends in global food prices are analysed annually in the 'Agricultural Outlook' prepared jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Changes in G8 policies have not been identified as major drivers of recent developments, with the exception of support for biofuel crops. There is already a substantial economic literature on the wider question of G8 agricultural support. This shows that such support tends to increase food output, reduce prices in the rest of the world, and increase the overall cost of food production by displacing production from low-cost to G8 countries.

Food: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support is being provided by his Department to promote food waste collection for the commercial sector.

Joan Ruddock: The Government aim to reduce the amount of food waste created by businesses and consumers; and to encourage better management through environmentally friendly treatment of waste where prevention is not possible.
	The Government funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has a target to divert 100,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill by March 2008. Retailers agreed in the Courtauld Commitment One Year On event, in November 2006, to work with WRAP to help deliver this target. In recent months they have been joined by many significant food manufacturers. This work will provide the evidence base as to how post-consumer food waste can be diverted and the Government will be expecting retailers and manufacturers to help tackle the climate change impacts of food waste.
	Food waste collections from commercial businesses were promoted by WRAP's Recycle at Work programme from 2006-08. WRAP commissioned four commercial food waste trials during this time; they ran from October 2006 to June 2007. WRAP commissioned independent evaluation of the trials between October 2007 and March 2008. The Executive Summary of the evaluation will be made available on the WRAP website shortly. WRAP's Good Practice Guidance on providing recycling services to businesses is also available from the WRAP website, providing guidance on setting up and marketing recycling services to Small or Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
	WRAP advises local authorities on waste collection arrangements. Where appropriate, it advises them to consider opportunities for the co-collection of food waste from commercial premises with food waste from domestic properties, to help with the economics of household food waste collections.
	DEFRA is working closely with the food industry to improve its environmental impact through the Food Industry Sustainability Strategy (FISS). The FISS targets a reduction in the food industry's own wastes of 15 to 20 per cent. by 2010.

Food: Waste Disposal

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many food waste trials he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) approved; and when the results of the trials are expected.

Joan Ruddock: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), with funding from DEFRA, has been running a programme of food waste collection trials involving 18 local authorities in England. Most of these trials have been operating since May 2007. Evaluation of the trials is under way and the results will be available in the summer.

Horses: Exports

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the animal welfare standards for live horses and ponies being exported from the UK.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are continuous checks on the welfare of horses and ponies exported from the United Kingdom. There are fitness to travel checks carried out as part of export health certification and checks carried out at places of departure and ports and airports to ensure compliance with all the requirements of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 on the welfare of animals during transport.

Litter

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has recently  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated relating to (i) litter and (ii) fly-tipping in England.

Joan Ruddock: My Department and the Environment Agency jointly commissioned ENCAMS in June 2007 to carry out a research project to explore the current perceptions among householders and tradespeople of the waste duty of care and the waste carrier registration regime. It specifically sought to understand:
	awareness of the waste carrier register/duty of care among tradespeople and the general public;
	triggers and barriers to registration on the part of tradespeople;
	the usefulness of the register to the general public;
	possible motivational messages/information to encourage tradespeople to register, and the public to use registered tradespeople.
	ENCAMS delivered the results of this research in December 2007 and we will publish the results in due course. The results will inform any future DEFRA funded awareness raising work on fly-tipping, in particular, any campaign to support the new duty of care and waste carrier/broker registration regimes that is planned for adoption in April 2009.
	ENCAMS was asked to look at what materials were collected alongside litter in public places and how they were dealt with and measured as part of the development of the 'Recycle on the Go' Voluntary Code of Practice, shortly to be launched by DEFRA. This was carried out between January and March 2007 and was funded through ENCAMS' DEFRA grant. It is not yet published but a summary is available.
	The Annual Local Environmental Quality Survey of England measures littering (under different source types) and records incidences of fly-tipping and waste placed out. The latest report is 2006-07, published on both the DEFRA and ENCAMS websites. The detailed sources of fly-tipping and wastes placed out is collected but not published. It is available on request.

Pollution: Power Stations

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effects on  (a) fish and  (b) other marine creatures of thermal discharges from power plants to (i) rivers and (ii) coastal waters.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department obtains assessments of the potential effects of thermal discharges on fish and ecosystems at specific sites on an as-needs basis. These assessments are based on a variety of information, including knowledge of the thermal tolerances of fish and their ability to avoid unfavourable conditions, and the overall impacts on available habitat, much of which has been obtained from current and past research funded by DEFRA.

Recycling: Non-profit Making Associations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the role of co-operative enterprises in recycling and waste minimisation.

Joan Ruddock: Our Waste Strategy, published in 2007, acknowledges the strengths which third sector organisations can bring to waste and recycling. We have encouraged the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which is partly funded by my Department, to bring forward a new programme to build their capacity.

Waste Disposal: Construction

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that waste from projects on construction sites with an estimated cost of less than £300,000 is disposed of properly; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) are mandatory for all construction projects in England costing £300,000 or more.
	In addition, implementation of a SWMP is a mandatory minimum requirement under the Department for Communities and Local Government's (CLG) Code for Sustainable Homes. From 1 May 2008, a mandatory rating against the Code is required for all new home build developments, regardless of cost.
	Moreover, local authorities are empowered to make SWMPs mandatory within the conditions of their planning permission for any construction project.
	Duty of care requirements and waste transfer controls apply to waste from all construction projects, regardless of cost. My Department will shortly be consulting on a review of the waste duty of care and waste carrier and broker registration regimes. The aim of this review is to reduce levels of waste crime by simplifying and modernising these regimes, making them easier to comply with and enforce while tackling low levels of awareness. A main target audience for this review will be tradespeople involved in construction projects of less than £300,000.

Waste Management: Private Finance Initiative

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities have received private finance initiative finance from his Department for waste schemes; how much has been paid over the last three years; and for what purposes.

Joan Ruddock: To date, 27 projects have been approved for private finance initiative (PFI) credits for sustainable waste management facilities. 21 have been proposed by individual authorities and six by partnerships of neighbouring authorities.
	In most cases PFI credits are paid to authorities on an annuity basis, this means that credits are paid over the lifetime of the contract as a revenue payment to support the capital cost of the infrastructure being delivered.
	Over the last three years, six of these projects have become eligible to claim credits, the amount they have claimed is:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Authority  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			 Cornwall county council 0 1,266,785.84 3,378,095.57 4,644,881.41 
			 Northumberland county council 0 0 3,009,129.62 3,009,129.62 
			 Lancashire county council 0 0 6,558,455.34 6,558,455.34 
			 Shropshire county council 0 0 1,459,009.28 1,459,009.28 
			 Nottinghamshire county council 0 2,374,819.47 2,998,509.43 5,373,328.90 
			 Central Berkshire district council(1) 0 870,630.54 2,981,611.44 3,852,241.98 
			 (1) Payments made to Reading borough council 
		
	
	Other PFI projects that started claiming prior to April 2005 have also been in receipt of grant over the last three years. These figures are not available at this time.
	The specific details on each project can be found on the DEFRA website.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

British Energy

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with UBS on the sale of British Energy.

Malcolm Wicks: UBS has been engaged by BERR to advise on the process of new nuclear build in the UK, including acting as financial adviser on the Government's strategy in relation to its stake in British Energy. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the details of discussions.

Carbon Emissions: Buildings

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many projects the Low Carbon Buildings Programme funded in each year since 2006; and what the cost was of each project.

Malcolm Wicks: Since 2006, there have been 5,083 successfully completed installations funded through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP). The breakdown by year is shown as follows.
	
		
			   Phase 1  Phase 2 
			 2006 805 — 
			 2007 2,938 387 
			 2008 724 229 
		
	
	To provide a breakdown of these figures for each project could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Companies: USA

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has made to the US in respect of attempts by US law enforcement authorities to undertake retrospective prosecutions of UK businesses and individuals.

Gareth Thomas: Officials have made representations when suitable opportunities arise, and will continue to do so.

Companies: USA

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his policy is on the investigation by the European Commission into allegations of violation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) obligation by the US in seeking to enforce laws against businesses and individuals for past activity undertaken within valid WTO commitments.

Gareth Thomas: The Government are aware that the Commission have agreed to investigate the TBR complaint by the gambling industry. We welcome the Commission examining the issues raised by the complaint in more detail and await their conclusions with interest.

Companies: USA

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received from United Kingdom  (a) businesses,  (b) business organisations and  (c) legal bodies on the extraterritorial application of US law to UK businesses and individuals.

Gareth Thomas: We are aware of the concerns of industry with regard to US extra-territorial legislation, which are raised by representatives of industry and their legal advisors on a regular basis.

Companies: USA

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has made to the US administration in respect of the extraterritorial application of US law and the effect on UK businesses and individuals.

Gareth Thomas: The UK opposes the excessive use of extra-territorial legislation, and we regularly express our concerns when Washington embassy officials meet relevant US officials.
	In addition, the UK has made two recent formal representations in a demarche to the State Department and in a letter from Sir Nigel Sheinwald to Secretary of State Rice concerning an Alien Tort Statute case being considered by the Supreme Court against companies dealing with South Africa in the apartheid era.

Departmental Translation Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent by his Department on translation and interpretation services in 2007-08, broken down by language.

Gareth Thomas: Expenditure by the Department on translation services in 2007-08 was £321,666. Of this total, £56,613 was for translations into English and £265,053 for translation into other languages. Information is not held centrally in a format to provide a detailed breakdown by individual languages and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Individual directorates make their own arrangements for purchase of interpretation services. Information on expenditure for such services is not available centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Energy: EU Law

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions officials in his Department discussed the proposed labelling of heating systems in the energy-using products directive with representatives of the European Commission in each of the last two years.

Malcolm Wicks: BERR and DEFRA officials have been in regular contact with the Commission concerning the boilers and water heater proposals under the energy-using products directive. The latest engagement with the Commission includes:
	EuP Consultation Forums 18 December 2007;
	A bilateral meeting with the Commission on 31 January 2008;
	EuP Consultation Forums 29 February 2008;
	Conference call with Commission—24 April 2008; and
	An informal meeting with Commission and other member states is planned for 22 May 2008.
	In addition to the discussions with the Commission, BERR and DEFRA have continued to work closely with the relevant industry sectors and recently BERR hosted a full day workshop (chaired by DEFRA) with industry representatives in February.

Energy: Fees and Charges

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average price of  (a) gas and  (b) electricity for UK households has been in each year since 1996.

Malcolm Wicks: Domestic retail prices for gas and electricity are published quarterly in section 2 of "Quarterly Energy Prices", the latest edition of which was published in March 2008 and is available online at http://www.berr.gov.uk.files/file45393.pdf. Table 2.2.1. on page 17 holds average electricity bills and table 2.3.1 on page 20 holds average gas bills. Both tables hold average bills back to 1990 and split by payment method.

Energy: Prices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the expenditure made by each energy company on its social tariff in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: Detailed reporting of energy company social tariffs has been led by OFGEM in recent years with BERR reporting at an aggregate level. In August and October 2007, OFGEM reported on the range of voluntary social initiatives each of the six largest energy suppliers provide to assist their vulnerable customers.
	Etimated figures for combined social spending on all voluntary initiatives (including social tariffs, rebates, trust funds, partnerships etc. but excluding differences in company fuel price levels) in 2006 by company are displayed in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Company  Amount 
			 British Gas 19.0 
			 EDF Energy 5.6 
			 nPower 4.0 
			 Powergen 6.7 
			 Scottish Power 2.8 
			 Scottish and Southern Energy 3.2 
		
	
	Further detail on the six largest energy suppliers' expenditure on their social initiatives is available here:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/SocAction/Suppliers/CSR/Documentsl/CSRupdate_open_letter_23507.pdf
	Accurate figures prior to 2006 at individual supplier level are not available. OFGEM published a report of supplier activity in June 2005 but no assessments were made at aggregate supplier level.

Energy: Prices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations his Department has received on the time taken for changes in the wholesale price of energy to be reflected in the prices paid by domestic customers; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Timing of retail price increases or decreases are commercial decisions by the energy supply companies. The Government do not interfere in commercial pricing decisions in the energy supply markets, which are competitive markets.

Energy: Prices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with energy companies on the practice of differential charging for payments made electronically, by direct debit and by cash; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Ofgem is currently conducting a probe into the energy markets, which includes looking at tariff differentials to make sure that the different payment methods are fair and justified. It released initial findings at the Fuel Poverty summit in April, and is already taking action to ensure that energy suppliers provide clear information on their websites to ensure that customers can make informed choices about the different payment methods. Ofgem will report on its probe in September and consider then whether further action is required.
	In respect of customers using pre-payment meters, the Government announced in the Budget that it is prepared to legislate with a view to reducing the differential between pre-payment and other forms of payment should Ofgem's probe reveal that pre-payment customers are suffering any disadvantage. However, in the first instance the Government will look to Ofgem and the energy suppliers to provide the solution.

Farepak: Compensation

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans the Government has to provide compensation to those who lost savings as a result of the collapse of the Farepak Christmas savings club in 2006.

Gareth Thomas: The Government are entirely sympathetic to the plight of those who lost money in the Farepak collapse, and were strongly supportive of the commendable efforts of the Farepak Response Fund appeal, which raised £8 million from business and members of the public to help those affected.
	For the future, the Government have taken steps to provide better protection and information for consumers. We have worked with the other hamper companies to put in place effective protection for customers' prepayments. The companies have responded by introducing new safeguards for consumers' money in the form of independently-controlled, ring-fenced trust accounts. These arrangements will be monitored by a new trade body, the Christmas Prepayments Association, under the terms of a new code of practice. We understand that the Association will be seeking approval of the code by the OFT under the terms of its consumer codes approval scheme. The Government have also given the Office of Fair Trading £1 million for a new awareness campaign so that consumers are better aware of their options for Christmas savings and are empowered to make decisions that are right for their own circumstances. However, the Government have no plans to provide any compensation in this case.

Fuel Poverty

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) pensioner households and  (b) other households which were living in fuel poverty in each year since 1996.

Malcolm Wicks: The most recent year for which numbers of households in fuel poverty are available is 2005. Various splits of the headline fuel poverty numbers for England are published in "Fuel Poverty 2005: detailed tables" available online at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file42705.pdf.
	The following table shows the number of pensioner households living in fuel poverty since 2003, the first year for which estimates for pensioners were made.
	
		
			  Estimated number of fuel poor households (1,000s) 
			   2003  2004  2005 
			 Pensioners 634 604 794 
			 Non-pensioners 588 632 735 
			 Total 1,222 1,236 1,529 
		
	
	Figures for 2006 will be available later this year.

Fuels: Prices

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect of increases in fuel prices on the cost of domestic heating.

Malcolm Wicks: Rising fuel costs put pressure on suppliers to raise prices to consumers. The average wholesale price for gas to be delivered in the next four quarters has doubled since early May 2007.
	About 85 per cent. of English households use gas as their main heating fuel. Internal BERR analysis estimates that the wholesale cost of gas currently makes up about 70 to 75 per cent. of an average household gas bill. Therefore a permanent rise of 20 per cent. (for instance) in wholesale gas costs could be expected to result in an average increase of about 15 per cent. in charges to the consumer.
	Rises in global fossil fuel costs will also impact households using heating oil, or electric heating.
	Actual charges to consumers will vary depending on the purchasing and pricing strategies of an individual supplier over time.

Gambling: Internet

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has made to the US administration in respect of its decision to withdraw from a World Trade Organisation commitment to provide access to the US online gambling market to non-US companies.

Gareth Thomas: The UK remained in close contact with the US Administration, the European Commission, and UK gambling interests throughout the negotiation of an agreed compensation package with the US.
	A final compensation package was agreed, between the EC and the US, in December 2007.

Heating: Fuel Oil

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of households that use heating oil as the main means of heating their homes in  (a) the UK and  (b) each nation and region of the UK.

Tom Watson: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of the number of households that use heating oil as the main means of heating their homes in (a) the UK and (b) each nation and region of the UK (200269).
	Estimates for this response are based on data collected from the Expenditure and Food Survey, which is a sample survey covering approximately 7,000 households in the United Kingdom. The table below shows the estimated number of households who use heating oil for their central heating. Due to the small sample size for individual regions, an average for the years 2003/04 to 2005/06 has been provided to give reliable estimates of the use of heating oil in each nation and region of the United Kingdom.
	
		
			  Average number of households using heating oil for central heating—United Kingdom,  2003-04 to 2005-06 
			  Thousands 
			  Region( 1)  Heating oil only  Solid fuel and heating oil  Total( 2) 
			 North East 21 0 21 
			 North West and Merseyside 58 2 61 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 39 4 43 
			 East Midlands 78 3 81 
			 West Midlands 49 1 50 
			 Eastern 199 4 203 
			 London 12 1 13 
			 South East 139 2 141 
			 South West 187 11 198 
			 
			 England 781 29 810 
			 
			 Wales 90 8 97 
			 Scotland 111 2 113 
			 Northern Ireland 483 4 487 
			 
			 United Kingdom 1,465 43 1,508 
			 (1) Government office region.  (2) Figures may not add due to rounding.   Source:  Office for National Statistics.

Innovation in Services Project

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to publish the Innovation in Services project report.

Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, expects to publish the Innovation in Services report soon. Interim findings from the project's analysis of innovation in and across service sectors are currently being reviewed and the report is being prepared.

Insurance: Elderly

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with the insurance industry on provision of  (a) insurance and  (b) travel insurance to older people; whether he provides guidance to the industry on the subject; and what recent representations he has received on the subject.

Kitty Ussher: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government meet regularly with representatives from the insurance industry. The Government published the consultation paper "A Framework for Fairness: Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain" in June 2007 which looked at the case for extending the prohibition of age discrimination to the provision of goods, facilities and services, except where it can be objectively justified. The Government are currently considering responses to that consultation.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent steps he has taken to increase take up of grants provided by the Low Carbon Buildings Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The following steps have been taken to encourage increased uptake of grants provided under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.
	The household stream of the programme has been extended to June 2010 for new applications or as long as funds are available, whichever is sooner. The extension to June 2010 gives business longer term certainty and is an excellent opportunity to encourage uptake in microgeneration technologies along with changes in planning requirements, which came into effect on 6 April 2008.
	The Government are working with the Energy Saving Trust to promote the Low Carbon Buildings Programme household funding stream, raising awareness of the funds that remain available to successful applicants. To date, we have used both their advice network and market segmentation models to target those that are most likely to install microgeneration technologies and apply for grants.
	Further details are available at:
	www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk
	The level of grant available in phase 2 has been increased to 50 per cent. for all technologies supported through the programme. We believe that raising the grant caps to 50 per cent. across all technologies will increase interest in the grants programme, although we will also be implementing a nationwide awareness raising campaign. We are working with Building Research Establishment, the programme manager for phase 2 of the LCBP, to deliver a series of regional events and a positive marketing programme to promote the programme to eligible organisations.
	Further details are available at:
	www.lowcarbonbuildingsphase2.org.uk

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has taken since the re-launch of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme to increase grant takeup by private householders; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The household stream of the programme has been extended to June 2010 for new applications or as long as funds are available, whichever is sooner. The extension to June 2010 gives business longer term certainty and is an excellent opportunity to encourage uptake in microgeneration technologies along with changes in planning requirements, which came into effect on 6 April 2008. Over the past month we have seen an increase in take up. In April we saw £313,374.40 committed to 293 householders.
	The Government are continuing to work with the Energy Saving Trust to promote the Low Carbon Buildings Programme household funding stream, raising awareness of the funds that remain available to successful applicants. To date, we have used both their advice network and market segmentation models to target those that are most likely to install microgeneration technologies and apply for grants, and will be looking to continue with this approach going forward.
	Further details are available at:
	www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much in grant funding under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme has been provided in each region.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on grant funding per region can be found on the Low Carbon Buildings Programme website at:
	http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/info/stats/
	and
	http://www.lowcarbonbuildingsphase2.org.uk/reportsummary.jsp

Low Carbon Buildings Programme: Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent on administering the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Malcolm Wicks: The amount spent on administering the Low Carbon Buildings Programme between April 2006 and March 2008 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2006-07 2,037,405 
			 2007-08 453,831

Natural Gas

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer from the Secretary of State for Scotland of 23 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2042W, on gas production, when the joint Government/industry taskforce  (a) last met and  (b) will next meet.

Malcolm Wicks: The West of Shetland Taskforce Steering Group, which I chair, last met on 21 February 2008 and expects to meet again in the next few months. A specific meeting date has not yet been set as timing is dependent on further technical work being carried out by the taskforce workgroup to determine the optimal development and new gas infrastructure to unlock the potential of this region.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Public Appointments

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what communications he has received from the Chief Executive of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on his future employment.

Malcolm Wicks: Dr. Roxburgh has been in touch with the Department concerning the speculation in  The Observer newspaper about his future at the NDA. His concern, which we share, is that this speculation does not affect the work of the NDA and the completion of the Sellafield competition.

Nuclear Installations Inspectorate

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made by HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in recruiting inspectors to undertake the generic design assessment of proposed new nuclear reactors; what arrangements exist to facilitate visa and security vetting of foreign candidates for these posts; and whether any difficulties relating to  (a) visas and  (b) vetting have been encountered during the recruitment process to date.

Malcolm Wicks: NII is making progress in recruiting new staff. This will allow it to transfer experienced inspectors into the teams undertaking the generic design assessments.
	The first recruitment drive since the increase in salaries of NII inspectors was agreed with HM Treasury in late 2007, ended in February with about 160 job applications. Interviews have now been held and a number of offers of employment have been made. It is too soon to say how many new recruits will result from this campaign.
	A second recruitment drive was launched on 11 April 2008.
	Whether an applicant may require a visa to attend an interview for a job in the UK is unconnected with the specific job application and is a matter for decision by the UK Border Agency, or ultimately the Home Office. Only when a candidate has received a job offer are they subjected to vetting procedures appropriate for UK public bodies. Prospective NII inspectors will normally be required to obtain national security vetting clearance to the security check level and no difficulties have been experienced to date in the current recruitment campaign.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  when he expects the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to announce the successful bidder for the contract to manage nuclear waste at Sellafield;
	(2)  whether the decision of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on the preferred bidder to clean up the nuclear waste at Sellafield requires Government approval.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 14 May 2008
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is currently running a competition to select a new parent body organisation (PBO) for the Sellafield Site Licence Company, which through ownership will enhance Site Licence Company performance.
	The announcement of a preferred bidder for the Sellafield PBO Competition is scheduled to take place in July 2008. Following the announcement of the preferred bidder, the NDA expects to complete contract finalisation over the summer period and plans to announce the contract award in October 2008. The decision will require Government approval.

Solar Power

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of solar panels installed on  (a) domestic and  (b) non-domestic properties in each of the last 10 years.

Malcolm Wicks: We commissioned a report on the potential for microgeneration in 2005, estimating that there were approximately 82,000 microgeneration installations in the UK. There are now estimated to be about 100,000 systems. We are not able to break this figure down by technology. However, since 2002 we have provided funding for 11,278 solar installations through our grant programmes, with the details shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Grant programme  Period  Technology  Number installed 
			 Solar PV Major Demonstration 2002-07 Solar photovoltaic 1,829 
			 Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 2006 to present Solar photovoltaic 727 
			 Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 2006 to present Solar photovoltaic 127 
			 Total   2,683 
			 
			 Clear Skies 2003-07 Solar thermal 5,799 
			 Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 2006 to present Solar thermal 2,774 
			 Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 2006 to present Solar thermal 22 
			 Total   8,595 
		
	
	We have commissioned further research to provide up to date estimates, and this will be published in June 2008.

Supermarkets: Prices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has made a recent assessment of whether supermarkets have engaged in price fixing of  (a) cigarettes and  (b) milk.

Gareth Thomas: Allegations of price fixing is an infringement under the 1998 Competition Act and is a matter for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
	 (a) Tobacco and Tobacco products
	The OFT issued a statement of objections on 25 April alleging that certain tobacco manufacturers and retailers and eleven retailers have engaged in unlawful practices in relation to retail prices for tobacco products in the UK.
	The statement of objections sets out the OFT's proposed findings against tobacco manufacturers Imperial Tobacco and Gallaher and eleven retailers- Asda, the Co-operative Group, First Quench, Morrisons, Safeway, Sainsbury, Shell, Somerfield, T&S Stores, Tesco and TM Retail. The OFT's investigation is currently ongoing.
	 (b) Milk and Dairy Products
	The OFT issued a statement of objections on 20 September 2007, which found provisional evidence of collusion between certain large supermarkets (Asda, Morrisons, Safeway, Sainsbury's and Tesco) and dairy processors (Aria, Dairy Crest, Lactalis McLelland, The Cheese Company and Wiseman) on the retail prices of some dairy products. Some of these parties have now admitted involvement in anticompetitive practices and have agreed to pay individual penalties which combine to a maximum of over £116 million. The OFT are continuing their case against the remaining parties.

Tidal Power: River Severn

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the criteria are for the selection of companies undertaking feasibility studies for the Severn Tidal Power project.

Malcolm Wicks: To date, two major contracts have been awarded under the Severn Tidal Power feasibility study.
	These are firstly to provide a managed service for a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of proposals for tidal power development in the Severn estuary, and secondly to provide advice on finance and ownership issues in relation to delivering a project to generate tidal power from the Severn estuary. The contracts were awarded following a competitive tender process using Office for Government Commerce framework agreements.
	Tenders for the SEA contract were assessed according to the value for money offered which was determined according to:
	(a) technical merit i.e. demonstration that the requirements of the service are fully understood and that the approach offered by the supplier would meet the requirements;
	(b) relevant experience i.e. demonstration that the supplier has undertaken such work successfully in the previous five years and that the supplier has a strong team with the required technical, financial and management expertise and capabilities; and
	(c) overall price.
	The panel also paid particular attention to the:
	quality of management of the organisation;
	degree of innovation, and
	independence of the contractor and ensuring that there is no conflict of interest.
	Tenders for the contract to provide advice on finance and ownership issues were assessed according to:
	(a) the level of understanding of the issues around tidal power development, UK electricity markets, corporate and public sector finance, and major infrastructure projects investment—in particular the experience and ability to advise on and create novel structures;
	(b) the quality of the staff involved and their previous relevant experience;
	(c) the quality of management of the organisation and its track record in having carried out similar work;
	(d) innovative ideas, methodologies or activities that help to maximise the prospects for achieving the aims and objectives of the study efficiently and effectively;
	(e) the independence of the contractor and ensuring that there is no conflict of interest; and
	(f) cost and value for money.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Skills Pledge: Copeland

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many employers in Copeland have made the skills pledge.

David Lammy: By March 2008, more than 2,500 employers in England had made the skills pledge, covering more than 3.7 million employees. A number of those employers employ people in the Copeland area, including Tesco, Ford Motor Company, Superdrug and BP. None of the employers who have made the pledge to date have registered their main address as being in the Copeland area; I would welcome the opportunity to work with the hon. Member for Copeland to encourage employers in his constituency to make the pledge.

Young People not in Education, Employment or Training

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the number of young people aged 16 or over not in education, employment or training.

John Denham: In the UK, the proportion of 18 to 25-year-olds not engaged in full-time education or employment is down from 19.4. per cent. in 1997 to 18.1 per cent. today. There are 707,000 in England—that's 15 per cent. Of these, 243,000 are looking after a family or home. 85,000 own their own home outright, or are buying their own home. Those on out of work benefits are already subject to conditionality but, as we have already announced, new measures will be taken to ensure that the unemployed, and those on sickness benefits will be given extra help to find work.

Young People not in Education, Employment or Training

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the recent trends in the number of young people aged 16 and over not in education, employment or training.

David Lammy: The responsibility for 16 to 17-year-olds is a matter for the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and is a shared responsibility for 18-year-olds. The Government are tackling vigorously the important issue of young people not in education, employment or training.
	The UK has a dynamic and flexible labour market with one of the highest employment rates in the G7. Youth unemployment has fallen since 1997 and the proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds not engaged in full-time education or employment is down to 18.1 per cent. in the three months ending March 2008 from 19.4 per cent. in 1997. We have seen an increase of 503,000 in the number of 18 to 24-year-olds in full-time education, a rise from 22.7 per cent. to 28.6 per cent.

Volunteers: Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps the Government are taking to encourage the training and development of volunteers in Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush.

David Lammy: Since January this year, voluntary sector organisations have been able to access support through Train to Gain to upskill the volunteers working for them. Government investment in skills through Train to Gain will rise to over £1 billion by 2010-11. In addition, the Learning and Skills Council supports programmes for volunteers like the Torch Project at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith.

Foreign Students

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to attract more foreign students to the UK.

Bill Rammell: The second phase of the Prime Minister's Initiative for International Education aims to secure and sustain the UK's position as a leader in international education. We are working with the British Council and a range of partners in the higher education and further education sectors to increase the number of international students studying in the UK and to support UK universities and colleges in developing collaborative partnerships with institutions overseas.

Further Education Colleges

Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will make a statement on levels of capital funding for further education colleges.

John Denham: £2.4 billion of capital investment has been made in the further education sector, including investment for information and learning technology (ILT) in the last 10 years, compared to ear marked expenditure of zero pounds in 1997.
	A record further £2.3 billion will be invested over the next three years—enabling us to continue the 'once in a generation' opportunity we have to build world-class further education facilities so the sector can deliver world-class skills.

Further Education Colleges

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the total capital expenditure was in further education colleges in England in 1997 and 2007; and what plans he has for future expenditure.

Bill Rammell: The total capital expenditure in further education colleges in England in the financial year 1997-98 was nil. In 2007-08, the LSC forecast outturn indicates that the total capital investment—including Information and Learning Technology—was £560 million.
	In total across that period, this Government have invested a massive £2.4 billion and will be investing a record further £2.3 billion across the next three years.

Further Education Colleges

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the performance of further education colleges; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: College success rates and inspection grades show strong improvement over recent years. With the LSC, Ofsted and others, we have now developed a wider suite of indicators to identify how the system is performing. These include learner and employer satisfaction rates, destination outcomes, attainment and financial performance measures. Over the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 period, we are developing the Framework for Excellence which will assess individual providers' performance against existing measures as well as these indicators.

Scientific Research

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the role of the research councils in promoting scientific research in the public sector.

Ian Pearson: The research councils are responsible for funding research in the higher education sector and in their own institutes. The councils are encouraged, wherever relevant, to work closely with other public sector bodies in delivering their research, but it is the responsibility of those other public bodies to determine their priorities and activities in research.

Postgraduate Students: Support

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the adequacy of support available to postgraduate students who attended schools in areas of deprivation.

Bill Rammell: We have not made any specific assessment. However, research shows that people from disadvantaged areas who achieve first degrees are no less likely to stay on for postgraduate study.
	The Government's student support is generally targeted at undergraduates, to widen access and provide the opportunity to study for a first degree. Students of the Post Graduate Certificate in Education are though eligible for means-tested support.
	The research councils offer postgraduate awards; and career development loans are also available.

Teaching Software

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the games industry on software packages for the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in colleges and universities.

Ian Pearson: The UK Government keep in regular contact with the UK games industry, however no specific meetings or discussions have been held between Ministers and the games industry on software packages for the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in colleges and universities.

Construction Skills

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he next expects to meet representatives of further education colleges to discuss skills in the construction sector.

Bill Rammell: Ministerial colleagues and I regularly meet representatives of further education colleges, to discuss skills in all sectors, including construction. These meetings will continue in the future as will meetings with representatives from the construction industry.

Undergraduate Courses: Access

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps the Government are taking to improve access to undergraduate courses for those from deprived backgrounds; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: This Government are committed to ensuring that talented people from all backgrounds are able and willing to develop their potential through higher education. We are putting £48 million per year into the Aimhigher programme, have introduced an improved student support package, and launched a prospectus for university links with academies and trusts. In addition, the Aimhigher Associates scheme will see around 5,500 university students providing long-term individual support to more than 21,000 pupils in schools and colleges.

New University: Somerset

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what consideration he has given to the establishment of a new university in Somerset.

John Denham: We have responded to the clear demand for local university provision by giving the chance for 20 towns or regions to develop new university centres or campuses by 2014. I am delighted by the interest and enthusiasm which this new "University Challenge" has generated. Any specific proposal in Somerset would of course be considered on its merits, and such proposals will be assessed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Low-skilled adults

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps the Government have taken to improve advice and support for adults who are low-skilled.

David Lammy: We are creating an adult advancement and careers service, to be fully operational from 2010-11, to provide universal, high quality information and advice on careers and skills. With targeted guidance for the low skilled and those who need it most and help that recognises the range of barriers to getting on in learning and work. There will be additional funding of at least £50 million from 2010-11 to support the service.

Apprenticeships

Jim Devine: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to raise the quality of apprenticeships.

David Lammy: Our strategy to develop and expand apprenticeships to meet the nation's skills needs is outlined in 'World-class Apprenticeships'. We are committed to build an apprenticeship system that meets the needs of employers and which offers all suitably qualified young people a place on an apprenticeship if they wish. To this end we will be publishing a draft Apprenticeship Bill in July which will set out plans to further improve quality.

Adult Education: Grants

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department plans to spend on adult learner grants for adults aged 25 years and over completing their first level three qualification in each of the next three years.

Bill Rammell: The Adult Learning Grant (ALG) has been available throughout England since September 2007 and during its pilot phase (from 2003) showed that it was successful at helping more individuals raise their skill levels through completing their training and gaining a qualification. It is intended to help low skilled individuals in work on low incomes achieve their first full Level 2 or first full Level 3 qualification. The grant offers up to £30 per week.
	The Department has a budget of £32 million for ALG for each of the next three financial years (2008-09, 09-10 and 10-11), which will be allocated in line with applications from adults supported by ongoing marketing of the scheme. Since it began in 2003-04, over 43,000 learners have been helped by ALG. Evaluation of pilots has shown that 80 per cent. of ALG funded learners study for a Level 3 qualification of which around 12 per cent. of learners were aged 25 and over.

Departmental Translation Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was spent by his Department on translation and interpretation services in 2007-08, broken down by language.

David Lammy: The Department has made payments for translation services to the value of £11,094.25 during the financial year 2007-08. To investigate as to whether the cost was for actual translation and interpretation work rather than the additional publishing costs and to breakdown the total cost into language would be at disproportionate cost.

Further Education

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of first-time Level 3 adult further education students who are aged between 19 and 25 years.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is not available. However, we do know that 40 per cent. of full level 3 adult learners in Further Education (excluding work based learning and train to gain) were aged 19-25.

Further Education: Capital Investment

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much funding for capital expenditure will be available to further education colleges during the current spending review period.

Bill Rammell: This Government will be investing a record £2.3 billion in the modernisation and renewal of the further education estate during the current CSR period—compared to ear-marked expenditure of zero pounds in 1997.
	This builds on the £2.4 billion invested in the previous 10 years and will enable us to continue the 'once in a generation' opportunity we have to build world-class further education facilities so the sector can deliver world-class skills.

GCE A-Level

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students gained  (a) an A level and  (b) an AS level in (i) accounting, (ii) art and design, (iii) business studies, (iv) communication studies, (v) dance, (vi) design and technology, (vii) drama/theatre studies, (viii) film studies, (ix) health and social care, (x) home economics, (xi) information and communication technology, (xii) leisure studies, (xiii) media studies, (xiv) music technology, (xv) performance studies, (xvi) performing arts, (xvii) photography, (xviii) physical education, (xix) sports studies and (xx) travel and tourism in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The information has been placed in the House Library.

Office of Fair Trading: Complaints

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many complaints he has received on the Office of Fair Trading in relation to its work on the home maintenance, repairs and improvements sector.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	In the last year for which figures are available (2007) the Office of Fair Trading (including Consumer Direct) received 73,443 such complaints about home maintenance, repairs and improvements.

Research Councils: Finance

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department has taken to safeguard research council budgets against the effects of international currency fluctuations; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the supplementary evidence provided in Memorandum 38 to the Select Committee on Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills following the oral evidence session on 20 February 2008, and subsequently published by the Committee.

Technology: Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent progress has been made in developing vocational training in the fields of emerging technologies.

Bill Rammell: The FE reform programme which we have implemented since the FE White Paper 'Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances published in March 2006' is transforming the Post 16 vocational system to one which is demand led. This will enable new and emerging industries to develop the skilled workforce they will need. We have instituted a process of vocational reform inviting sector skills councils, on behalf of employers, to undertake sector skills reviews to identify key vocational qualifications for the future of their sectors. World-class apprenticeships commit us to boost the range of apprenticeships and we would expect the new National Apprenticeship Service to identify the skills needs of business involved with emerging technologies and to work with sector skills bodies to develop appropriate frameworks. Train to Gain enables employers to support the development of the workforce. Foundation Degrees Forward, an independent body funded by HEFCE, supports the development and validation of high quality Foundation Degrees. They support employer engagement across higher education programmes generally and in relation to Foundation degrees specifically. To support FE reforms the Quality Improvement Agency have recently refocused the National Teaching and Learning Change Programme enabling it to respond to local and regional needs more flexibly. This will enable teachers and lecturers to identify new teaching subjects and develop the skills learners' needs.
	In addition the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Technology Strategy Board has issued a call to fund up to two new Innovation and Knowledge Centres (IKCs), each of up to £9.45 million support over five years. IKCs will promote the early commercialisation of world class research, by combining within a single integrated centre the best research with the best business development, market analysis and commercialisation skills and partnerships to accelerate its exploitation. For each centre provision has been made to support postgraduate training.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of the outcome of the NATO Bucharest Summit on UK policy on Afghanistan.

Meg Munn: The Bucharest summit was an important success for Afghanistan. Attendance of all the key players demonstrated a truly international and comprehensive approach in working towards our common goals in Afghanistan. At the summit, the UK, along with our allies and partners, reaffirmed our common determination to help the people and the elected government of Afghanistan.
	The key areas of UK policy in Afghanistan, laid out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his 12 December 2007 statement to the House, were greater Afghan ownership, localisation and reconstruction. These are fully reflected in the Strategic Vision declaration made by contributing nations to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan at the Bucharest summit, which sets out clearly ISAF's aims and objectives for Afghanistan. We also welcomed the increased troop contributions announced at Bucharest which addressed the issue of improving burden sharing, also a key priority for my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Colombia: Human Rights

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training on  (a) human rights and  (b) other issues the Government has provided to the High Mountain Battalion in Colombia in the last five years.

Meg Munn: UK assistance to Colombia focuses on counter-narcotics, human rights and international humanitarian law, and humanitarian de-mining. We do not disclose any aspect of our counter-narcotics assistance, and the parliamentary ombudsman has upheld this decision, as to do so would endanger the lives of those involved in this vital and dangerous work. However all assistance has human rights at its foundation, and is carefully monitored to ensure its integrity.
	The Ministry of Defence do not provide training to whole units such as the "High Mountain Battalions", though some of their officers and soldiers may well have received human rights and de-mining training from either UK staff, or from Colombian staff who have received UK human rights training.

Departmental Data Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department have been disciplined or dismissed for  (a) breaches of data protection requirements and  (b) inappropriate use of personal and sensitive data in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Meg Munn: No officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been disciplined or dismissed for either breaches of data protection requirements or inappropriate use of personal and sensitive data in the last three years.

Departmental Internet

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) responsibilities are and  (b) grade is of his Department's new head of digital engagement.

David Miliband: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) new head of digital engagement was appointed in March 2008. Their responsibilities are:
	to develop and deliver a top-level FCO internet strategy through which the FCO will use its new web platform, and the web more broadly, to deliver foreign policy outcomes; and
	to commission and oversee the work of the FCO's e-media team.
	The head of digital engagement is graded FCO D7 (home civil service grade 6).

Departmental Internet

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the budget for his Department's new website will be spent on the design of embassy and high commission websites.

David Miliband: Most of the templates and functionality of the embassy and high commission websites are shared with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) main site to maximise efficiencies across the sites. It is therefore not possible to extract the proportion of resources spent on the embassy and high commission websites—they are all part of the same FCO web platform. My answer to PQ 204823 sets out the total costs.

Departmental Internet

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the budget for his Department's new departmental website.

David Miliband: The recent upgrade of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) corporate website is part of a wider project to deliver a new web platform and improved web presence for the FCO over five years.
	The work will provide a single technical platform for all the FCO websites (including the main FCO website, Arabic and Urdu versions of the FCO website, UKvisas website, the FCO Freedom of Information website, and 229 embassy, high commission and special mission sites in multiple languages) as well as new designs, content, functionality and a new hub and spoke model for delivering business support.
	The project will complete in September 2008, by which time all of the FCO posts websites will have joined the new platform and will operate under the central domain fco.gov.uk
	The initial cost of £9.7 million for the web platform was set out in the answer given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Heeley (Meg Munn) on 30 January 2008,  Official Report, column 398W. The project is on target to cost £19.2 million over five years. This includes running costs, for example hosting and support, and some staff salaries. The cost of the project to date is £9.2 million which breaks down as follows:
	consultancy (procurement, legal and business change advice): £1.631 million;
	project management and support: £1.065 million;
	software, development and implementation (including design and roll-out): £6.115 million; and
	other (including training costs): £0.389 million.
	The web is vital for the delivery of the FCO's departmental strategic objectives. More people, in the UK and overseas, have contact with the FCO through the web than through any other channel. The FCO is committed to using the web to deliver its policy goals as well as key services such as travel advice and visa information.
	The project has followed the Office of Government Commerce Gateway Review process and is delivering on time and to budget.

Departmental Internet

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether a review was undertaken before the decision to approve funding for his Department's new website.

David Miliband: A comprehensive review of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) online activity was undertaken during the summer of 2005 by digital agency Rufas Leonard. This produced a web strategy which set the direction for the development of the FCO's web presence for the next five to seven years. This strategy underpinned the business case for the development of the FCO's new websites which was approved by the FCO's Investment Committee in January 2006. The project to redevelop the new websites has also been subject to the Office of Government Commerce Gateway Review Process and was rated green at both Gateway 3 and 4.

Departmental Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 29 February 2008,  Official Report, column 2022W, on departmental manpower, how many of the employees under 18 years of age are receiving at least one day's training per week.

Meg Munn: Two of these employees are on three year engineering apprenticeships and have been receiving the equivalent of one day's training per week. The three year apprenticeship is considered to be all training, whether on-the-job working in various sections or at college. The third employee is on a fixed term contract and not on an apprentice scheme.

Departmental Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  under what type of tenure the Government owns 1 Carlton Gardens;
	(2)  what plans he has for the use of 1 Carlton Gardens in the next three years.

Meg Munn: We are currently in negotiation with The Crown Estate about the future of the lease on 1 Carlton Gardens.

Departmental Orders and Regulations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many statutory instruments have been  (a) made and  (b) revoked by Ministers in his Department since 1997.

Meg Munn: 315 Statutory Instruments have been made on the part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1 January 1997 to the present day.
	The information on how many statutory instruments have been revoked on the part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1 January 1997 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EU Presidency

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent  (a) representations he has made to and  (b) discussions he has had with (i) other EU member states and (ii) EU institutions on potential candidates for the proposed post of President of the European Council; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has regular contact with all of our EU partners and with the EU institutions on a variety of issues.
	As set out in my letters of 22 April to the Chairs of the Commons European Scrutiny Committee and Lords EU Select Committee, technical level discussions to prepare for implementation have begun. While it is only sensible to ensure that the EU is ready to implement the treaty—if all countries have ratified—we have made it clear to and agreed with our EU partners that no final decisions can be taken until ratification is confirmed.
	Discussions on the identity of the new full-time President of the European Council will take place at the appropriate time. This decision and others will, of course, depend on ratification of the treaty by all 27 member states.

France: State Visits

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse was of the Prime Minister's joint press conference with the President of France held at the Emirates stadium on 27 March.

Jim Murphy: Costs specifically attributable to holding the joint press conference amounted to £8,561.16. There were additional costs associated with the hosting of the UK-France Summit.

Gaza: Fuels

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) he,  (b) Ministers and  (c) officials in his Department have had with the President of the Palestinian Authority about the reported blocking of fuel supplies to hospitals and clinics in the Gaza Strip by Hamas; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Palestinian President Abbas on 18 December 2007. Our Consulate General in Jerusalem also maintains regular dialogue, with him and his office, about the humanitarian situation. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development met Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad when he visited this month and discussed Gaza among other issues. The UK supports all efforts to resume the normal operation of the Gaza crossing.

Gaza: Fuels

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) he,  (b) Ministers and  (c) officials in his Department have had with Arab governments about the reported blocking of fuel supplies to hospitals and clinics in the Gaza Strip by Hamas; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary co-hosted high level meetings, on 2 May in London, which involved discussions with Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia as well as Foreign Ministers from outside the region. During the meetings the humanitarian effect of fuel shortages was discussed. Our embassies around the region also discuss these issues frequently with their host governments. The UK supports efforts to resume the normal operations of the Gaza crossing.

Iran: Nuclear Power

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there are plans to publish the refreshed 6 June 2006 E3+3 proposals on Iran; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We will be passing the refreshed E3+3 offer to the Iranian Government in confidence. We hope that they will study its contents carefully and respond in a timely manner. We have no plans to publish it before the Iranian Government has seen it.

Iraq: Administration of Justice

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to seek to extend extra-territorial jurisdiction to allow the British prosecuting authorities to prosecute alleged offences by contractors working for HM Government in Iraq.

Meg Munn: holding answer 14 May 2008
	Future policy options are under review. We believe that our current working relationships, and contracts with our contractors in Iraq, ensure that any cases of alleged crime or misconduct would be brought to our attention promptly, so that we could investigate. Where such misconduct is substantiated our procurement guidelines specify that we can terminate the contract. We expect the highest professional standards of those holding Government contracts.
	On the broader issue of the regulation of the overseas operations of private military and security companies, registered in or operating from the UK, the then Foreign Secretary my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Jack Straw), requested a review by officials of the options. The review was completed in 2005 and considered ways forward including self-regulation, national regulation—based on export controls—and/or company licensing systems. We have also considered international regulation on the basis of common international values and norms. However, the review and subsequent analysis has also highlighted difficulties with regard to implementation or enforcement, with respect to each of the options. We have also considered the complex legal matter of extra-territorial jurisdiction. These issues have since been the subject of extensive Ministerial correspondence and official consultation. If it is decided that regulation is appropriate, the Government will put the proposals to public consultation.

Iraq: Politics and Government

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Answer of 24th May 2006,  Official Report, column 1862W, on Iraq, what reports he has received since May 2006 on the activities of the Facilities Protection Service; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Facilities Protection Service is an Iraqi internal security organisation, outside the remit of the UK forces operating in Iraq. The Iraqi Council of Ministers has recently passed a draft law, to the Council of Representatives, aimed at reforming the Facilities Protection Service and bringing all branches under the control of the Ministry of the Interior.

Iraq: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government have taken to improve the safety and security of Iraqi citizens in Iraq.

Meg Munn: UK forces have consistently taken firm action against rogue militias and criminal elements who seek to undermine or oppose progress in Iraq. We have so far trained over 20,000 army personnel and over 22,000 police officers. In addition, we put significant time and resources into improving the safety and security of Iraqi citizens and are now involved in training all companies of the Iraqi Army 14 Division.
	The Government funded civilian project teams continue to mentor and develop key leaders in the Iraqi Police Service and Ministry of Interior. Our objective is to allow these leaders to develop the capacity to take control of their own security.
	The UK is also working with the Government of Iraq in developing human rights legislation, including the setting up of a National Human Rights Commission. We continue to lobby the Government of Iraq at the highest level on the treatment of those in Iraqi detention to ensure that the rights of Iraqi citizens are upheld.

Kenya: Politics and Government

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of  (a) the political situation in Kenya and  (b) progress in implementing the National Accord and Reconciliation Act 2008 in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The UK, together with Kenya's other international partners, has welcomed the appointment, by President Kibaki on 17 April, of a Grand Coalition Government with Mr. Raila Odinga as the country's Prime Minister. This is an important step in implementing the National Accord and Reconciliation Act that came into force on 20 March. The UK has offered its strong support to the new Kenyan Government and looks forward to it making progress to achieve reconciliation and restore stability and prosperity through the full implementation of the programme of reforms set out under the National Accord agreed by Kenya's leaders on 28 February.

Maldives: Constitutions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of the Maldives on establishing effective parliamentary process for the completion of the new constitution.

Meg Munn: It is essential that the new Constitution, in the final stages of scrutiny in the Special Majlis (constitutional assembly), enjoys the support of all the people of the Maldives. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, told Maldivian President Gayoom of the need to keep the democratic reform process, of which the new Constitution is a cornerstone, on track in July 2007. He reiterated this to Dr. Mohamad Asim, the Maldivian High Commissioner in March 2008.

Maldives: Elections

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department will send  (a) independent observers and  (b) observers as part of an EU delegation to the Maldives, in advance of the elections expected in 2008.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East (Kim Howells) gave to the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Mr. Spring), on 27 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1704W.

Maldives: Elections

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Maldives government on the distribution of media resources between political parties in advance of expected elections in 2008.

Meg Munn: We have made no specific representation on this issue. We are however working closely with the BBC, the Maldives Ministry of Information and the Maldives Media Association to promote media freedom and skills development including, objectivity and balance.

Maldives: Elections

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of the Maldives on establishing an independent election commission in advance of the expected elections in 2008.

Meg Munn: In a meeting with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in April, the Maldivian Foreign Minister, Abdulla Shahid, stated that an Interim Election Commission would be created within 30 days of the ratification of the new Constitution. He underlined that the deliberations of the Special Majlis (Constitutional Assembly) were nearly complete. Foreign Minister Shahid told us that the Commission would be responsible for all elections-related matters, and that all registered political parties would be able to nominate Commissioners.

Maldives: Elections

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of the Maldives on charges against members of opposition parties in advance of expected elections in 2008.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East (Dr. Howells) gave to the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Mr. Spring) on 27 February,  Official Report, column 1705W.
	Free, fair and credible elections are a crucial element of democratic reform in the Maldives. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, emphasised this point to Dr. Mohamad Asim, the Maldivian high commissioner in March. He also pointed out that the freedom of politicians and political parties to campaign and debate freely was a cornerstone of democracy.

Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the Government put forward to the Preparatory Committee meeting for the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference in 2010, held recently in Geneva; what responses were received from other national delegations at the preparatory meeting to those proposals; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Government proposed initiatives to promote consensus around the Treaty's three pillars: non-proliferation; peaceful uses of nuclear energy; and disarmament. This included studies on the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's conference on peaceful uses of nuclear energy to be held later this year. The UK also co-sponsored a paper by the US on civil nuclear energy and an EU paper on nuclear weapons free zones. These proposals were well received. Further details on these proposals can be found at:
	http://www.un.org/NPT2010/SecondSession/documents.html.

Polisario Front

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from the Polisario Front.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has received representations from consultants working on behalf of the Polisario. He reiterated the UK's concerns over the conflict in Western Sahara, and our hope that ongoing negotiations will achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self determination of the people of Western Sahara. In addition, officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have received Polisario representatives for discussions on Western Sahara.

Smoking

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many smoking shelters were built at each of his Department's London buildings in each of the last five years.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has erected one smoking shelter in its London Estate, situated in the external courtyard of the Old Admiralty Building in 2003.

Somalia: Ethiopia

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal advice he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) received on the death of civilian workers on projects funded by the UK in Somalia resulting from interaction between the governments of Somalia and Ethiopia and UK-supported activities.

Meg Munn: No legal advice has been commissioned or received on this subject.
	The majority of UK funding for Somalia is channelled through the UN Development Programme and other UN agencies. Any civilian staff working for these projects do so under UN terms and conditions of employment and follow the security advice given by the UN Department for Safety and Security.

Somalia: Ethiopia

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what political, diplomatic and military support  (a) the UK and  (b) the EU has provided to (i) Ethiopia in support of its role in Somalia, (ii) Ethiopia and (iii) Somalia in the last two years.

Meg Munn: Neither the UK nor the EU provide any political, diplomatic or military support for Ethiopia for its role in Somalia.
	Both the UK and the EU maintain full diplomatic relations with Ethiopia. Neither the UK nor the EU provide any military support, but where suitable opportunities arise and we are satisfied that human rights concerns are being met, the UK remains interested in assisting Ethiopia to develop its internal security infrastructure.
	Both the UK and the EU support the Transitional Federal Institutions of Somalia as established by the Transitional Federal Charter, including the Transitional Federal Government. The UK does not currently have formal diplomatic accreditation to Somalia, but we maintain a high level of contact with members of the Somali Government. Neither the UK nor the EU provide any military support to Somalia.

Somalia: Human Rights

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Ethiopia and the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia on their obligations to ensure that their armed forces comply with international humanitarian law; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We regularly raise the issue of compliance with international humanitarian law with both the Ethiopian Government and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, including at the highest level.
	While Ethiopia's troops remain in Somalia, we urge them to use only appropriate force, adhere to international humanitarian law, respect human rights and to ensure that their forces should leave the country as soon as is practical without creating a security vacuum.

Somalia: Human Rights

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to monitor the human rights situation in Somalia; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: In March 2008 we fully supported the UN Human Rights Council in renewing the mandate of their international expert for Somalia.
	Through the UN Security Council (UNSC), we have also asked the UN to produce a comprehensive plan, and to build capacity to monitor and report on the human rights situation in Somalia.
	To be effective and have a sustainable impact, measures to combat human rights abuses should be part of a broader approach to peace-building. Effective state-building is the only way to address human rights in the long-term. The UK is in the forefront of international efforts to re-build the Somali state through shaping UNSC policy and through our membership of the Contact Group for Somalia. We continually press for greater focus on human rights capacity in Somalia.

Somalia: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the capacity of the African Union force in Somalia to protect civilians caught up in the conflict; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The African Union (AU) force in Somalia has a mandate to carry out a limited number of specific tasks in Somalia. The force is mandated to deploy 8,000 troops. At the current force level of approximately 2,400 troops, the mission does not have sufficient capacity to carry out its full mandate.
	Even so, the AU troops are doing what they can to aid the civilian population in Mogadishu, particularly in the areas of water provision and medical assistance. We are grateful to Uganda and Burundi for the efforts of their soldiers and their contribution to improving the situation in Somalia. We are working with the AU and international partners to increase the strength of the force.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he received of attacks on humanitarian aid workers along the Chadian border with Sudan in each of the last three months.

Meg Munn: With regret I confirm that Pascal Marlinge, an aid worker with Save the Children-UK, was shot and killed by armed men in eastern Chad on 1 May. Ramadan Djom, also of Save the Children-UK, was killed in the same region on 4 April. The border area between Chad and Sudan remains highly dangerous, with regular bandit activity throughout the region. The UK strongly condemns these senseless attacks on both individuals and organisations that are seeking to improve the welfare of those affected by regional conflict.

Uganda

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the re-population of Acholiland in northern Uganda; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The most recent report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, states that of the 1.1 million people in Internally Displaced Persons camps in the Acholi region of Uganda at the end of 2005, 9 per cent. have moved back to their villages of origin, with a further 32 per cent. in satellite sites, in transition to returning home. We are encouraged by this report and will continue to monitor the situation in northern Uganda closely.

Uganda: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in executing International Criminal Court warrants for the arrest of the leadership of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Joseph Kony and the other Lord's Resistance Army indictees have so far refused to surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and reports suggest they are not currently in Uganda.
	The UK strongly supports the ICC. We also continue to follow the Juba peace talks closely, and hope that this process will provide the framework for peace in northern Uganda. We believe that justice is an essential part of sustainable peace. It is vital that those responsible for the terrible crimes committed during the conflict in northern Uganda are held to account. Resolution of the conflict in Uganda must be compatible with the Rome Statute.

USA: Human Rights

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of the United States on  (a) human rights and  (b) use of torture.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office maintains an ongoing dialogue on a range of human rights and international legal issues with the US government, including on the use of torture. As a member of the EU, the UK is also engaged in the regular EU/US dialogue on human rights.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the status is of negotiations in Manhasset on the future of the Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1753, of 30 April 2007, called upon the parties to enter into negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General without preconditions and in good faith. The UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Peter van Walsum, has brought the parties together for four rounds of negotiations, held in June and August 2007 and January and March 2008. The UK fully supports these negotiations, with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We have encouraged the parties to maintain their commitment to the negotiation process. UNSCR 1813 called on parties to continue these negotiations in a spirit of realism and compromise, and we hope a fifth round will be held soon.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with  (a) France and  (b) Spain on the future of the Western Sahara.

Meg Munn: The UK is a member of the Group of Friends of Western Sahara in the UN Security Council, along with France, Spain, the US and Russia. Consequently, the UK works closely with these two key European neighbours on the issue of Western Sahara in the UN.
	Last month saw the UN Security Council adopt Resolution 1813, which extended the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara and called on the parties to continue negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary General. The UK, along with the others in the Group of Friends, worked hard in order to secure consensus in the Council.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to meet representatives of the Polisario Front to discuss the status of Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Government maintain contact with representatives of the Polisario at official level, both in London and through our embassies overseas. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has met with consultants working on behalf of the Polisario, where he reiterated the UK's support for the UN Secretary-General and his personal envoy to the Western Sahara, Peter van Walsum, and for the negotiation process currently under way under the auspices of the UN.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will bring academies into the purview of local schools committees.

Jim Knight: The Government encourage academies to work closely with local schools and their communities. However, the first priorities of an academy must be to concentrate on tackling the challenges they face in terms of performance and behaviour, and on meeting the needs of their pupils.
	Many academies sit on their local school forums, but like other maintained schools are not compelled to do so; it is for the governing body of the school in each case to decide. Academy principals are also often part of their local secondary head groups—and in some cases have been the chair.
	Academy Governing Bodies are bound by law to act in the best interest of the academy, its pupils and local community. They must set out their proposals for working with other schools and the wider community in their annual development plan.
	All new academies will be required to be part of their local behaviour partnerships, and all open academies are already members or have indicated a willingness to work with their local behaviour partnerships.

Academies: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 813W, on academies: admissions, if he will list each of the academies which fall in each category of selection; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In the case of over subscription:
	The following academies can exercise selection by aptitude in their specialism:
	The Business Academy, Bexley; The City Academy, Bristol; Capital City Academy, Brent; The Academy at Peckham, Southwark; City of London Academy, Southwark; Djanogly City Academy, Nottingham; Dixons City Academy, Bradford; Macmillan Academy, Middlesbrough; Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Academy, Lewisham; Haberdashers' Knights Academy, Lewisham; Harefield Academy, Hillingdon; The John Madejski Academy, Reading; Ashcroft Technology Academy, Wandsworth; William Hulme's Grammar School, Manchester; The Belvedere Academy, Liverpool; Harris City Academy, Crystal Palace, Croydon; John Cabot Academy, South Gloucestershire
	The following Academies can exercise banding in line with ability range of applicants:
	The Business Academy, Bexley; The Walsall City Academy, Walsall; Capital City Academy, Brent; The Academy at Peckham, Southwark; City of London Academy, Southwark; The West London Academy, Baling; Mossbourne Community Academy, Hackney; Dixons City Academy, Bradford; Macmillan Academy, Middlesbrough;
	Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Academy, Lewisham; Haberdashers' Knights Academy, Lewisham; Sandwell Academy, Sandwell; The Petchey Academy, Hackney; The Harris Bermondsey Academy, Southwark; David Young Community Academy, Leeds; Landau Forte College, Derby; North Liverpool City Academy, Liverpool; Harris Girls Academy East Dulwich, Southwark; Ashcroft Technology Academy, Wandsworth; William Hulme's Grammar School, Manchester; The Belvedere Academy, Liverpool; The Bridge Academy, Hackney; Leigh Technology Academy, Kent; The Thomas Deacon Academy, Peterborough; Harris City Academy, Crystal Palace, Croydon; Bacon's, A Church of England Sponsored Academy, Southwark.
	And, the following Academies can exercise banding in line with ability range of pupils nationally:
	Harris Academy Merton, Merton; The Harris Academy South Norwood, Croydon; John Cabot Academy, South Gloucestershire.

Academies: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether new academies will be allowed to select by banding with reference to the national ability range; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Academies must abide by the School Admissions Code, which allows for the banding of applicants with reference to (i) the ability of applicants for the school, (ii) the range of ability of children in the local area or (iii) the national ability range. Of the 83 open Academies, three currently have Funding Agreements which allow for banding with reference to the national ability range. Twenty-six others have Funding Agreements which allow for banding but all of these refer to the ability range of the applicants to the Academy. New Academies will be under the same obligations as existing Academies and other schools in this respect and will therefore be able to band with reference to the national ability range should they choose to.

Business: Education

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 6 June 2007 to the hon. Member for Banbury, (Tony Baldry)  Official Report, columns 625-26W, on business: education, 
	(1)  what factors have been taken into account in determining whether to proceed with a second round of Enterprise Summer School Pathfinders in 2008;
	(2)  what discussions officials in his Department have had on a second round of Enterprise Summer School Pathfinders to take place in 2008;
	(3)  what funding is available for a second round of Enterprise Summer School Pathfinders to take place in 2008;
	(4)  how many of the nine recommendations made following the evaluation of the School's Enterprise Education Network carried out by York Consultancy LLP in September 2007 have been  (a) accepted and  (b) implemented;
	(5)  what the cost was of the assessment of the Enterprise Summer School Pathfinders conducted by Oxford University in 2006;
	(6)  what the cost was of the evaluation of the School's Enterprise Education Network carried out by York Consultancy LLP in September 2007.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has been working with partners to develop a second pilot enterprise summer schools programme, within the 'Young Chambers' (YCs) initiative launched in 2007 as part of the enterprise education strategy. Partners in YCs are the British Chambers of Commerce, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT), the National Education Business Partnerships Network, and YCUK. The SSAT has invited all schools taking part in the Young Chamber programme to organise a 'summer enterprise workshop', offering support of £1,000 from allocated funds. The aim of the summer enterprise workshop is to give students a real experience of business—for example around entrepreneurship, setting up and running a business—using practical input from a local business or employer, and other relevant local partners. I am pleased to say that 25 schools have applied to date, and we hope that the number will rise to around 50.
	We have taken account of the evaluation of the 2006 Young Enterprise summer schools, and the SSAT is sending a copy to all applicant schools to ensure that the positive lessons can be learned. That evaluation was commissioned by Young Enterprise and funded from within the allocation made to them for the summer schools. The evaluation of the Schools' Enterprise Education Network (SEEN) carried out by York Consultancy was commissioned by the SSAT and funded from within the allocation made to them for SEEN; the DCSF intends to issue an Invitation to Tender for the future management of SEEN, and in doing so will take account of the recommendations made. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman when I have details of the costs of the two evaluations.

Children: Armed Forces

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many support staff his Department employs specifically to help the children of service personnel.

Jim Knight: Information on the number of support staff employed specifically to help service children is not collected by this Department.
	Support for service children is provided by Service Children's Education which is an agency of the Ministry of Defence.

Children: Day Care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress has been made towards meeting the target of each full daycare setting being led by a graduate and those in the most disadvantaged areas being led by two graduates by 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Over 1,000 people have been conferred with Early Years Professional Status. This number will continue to increase as the work of some candidates is resubmitted and reassessed, and as new candidates are assessed. Over 2,000 people are currently training towards Early Years Professional Status.

Children: Day Care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of affordability of childcare for children under the age of five; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 13 May 2008
	The childcare sufficiency assessments which all local authorities were required to complete by 31 March 2008 took account of the affordability of childcare, which is one of the factors which can be regarded as the 'benchmark' of sufficiency.
	This Government recognise that childcare costs are a serious matter for some families in some areas, which is why we are doing more than ever before to make good quality childcare and early education accessible and affordable.
	We are investing £3 billion per year to support free early education, so all three and four year olds, irrespective of the employment status of their parents, can benefit from 12.5 hours of free early years provision for 38 weeks per year. This increases to 15 hours by 2010 and will be delivered more flexibly to meet families' needs. In addition, we announced in the Children's Plan an additional £100 million to pilot a free entitlement for 20,000 of our most disadvantaged two year olds.
	We provide substantial help (totalling over £3 million a day) through the tax credit system, in providing up to 80 per cent. of childcare costs. This helps nearly 450,000 families, with nearly 280,000 of these families being those with children under the age of five.
	The budget increased the commitment to childcare by announcing additional pilots to support new approaches to childcare, building on good practice from the additional childcare support provided by the £33 million London Childcare Affordability Programme. In addition, the Government will also pilot new child development grants of 200 in 10 local authority areas, payable where parents take up their childcare places and have contact with their local Children's Centre.

Children: Day Care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2008,  Official Report, column 687W, on children: day care, what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of staff working in nurseries who are unqualified foreign nationals.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information on staff qualifications that are relevant to working with children and young people. In 2006, the survey estimated that 10 per cent. of paid staff working in full day care settings in England held no qualifications. However, the survey does not collect information on the nationality of staff, therefore it is not possible to estimate the number or proportion of staff working in nurseries who were unqualified foreign nationals.

Class Sizes: Wirral

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the pupil-teacher ratio was in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Wirral West constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the pupil:teacher ratio in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Wirral West constituency and England, January 2007 the latest information available by constituency.
	
		
			  Pupil:teacher( 1)  ratios in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Wirral West constituency and England, January 2007 
			   Wirral West  England 
			 Primary 22.6 21.8 
			 Secondary 14.9 16.5 
			 (1) The PTR is calculated by dividing the total FTE number of pupils on roll in schools by the total FTE number of qualified teachers regularly employed in schools.  Source: School Census 
		
	
	Provisional pupil:teacher ratios for England for January 2008 were published on 29 April at the following web link:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000787/index.shtml

Home Education

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have been removed from the school register for home schooling in England since 2004; and what research has been carried out by his Department on the reasons why parents choose to home school their children.

Jim Knight: The requested information on the numbers of children who have been removed from the school register for home education is not collected centrally. In 2006 we commissioned a feasibility study from York Consulting to assess the viability of determining the prevalence of home education and to give information on why parents elect to home educate. A copy of the study's findings has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Nurseries: Local Government Finance

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities in  (a) the East Midlands and  (b) England have notified to his Department the single funding formula they propose to use to deliver the provision of free places at private, voluntary and independent nurseries from 2010; and what mechanisms are in place to monitor the progress of local authorities in developing the funding formula.

Beverley Hughes: I would not yet expect any local authorities to have published details of their funding formula.
	We made clear in guidance that local authorities should present the findings of the cost analysis to their Schools Forum and publish the findings on the local authority website. The guidance can be found at
	www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/earlyyears/fundingreform
	We are running a pilot project to work with six local authorities as they develop their single funding formula, and sharing the learning with other local authorities in the form of guidance and update reports. We have already produced the first of our progress reports, with the next update due to follow at the end of this month. We hope to produce a guidance document at the end of the summer.

Pre-School Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons parents will be permitted to exempt their children from the early years foundation stage; and what assessment he has made of the effects of such exemptions on the delivery of early years education.

Beverley Hughes: It is our intention to allow settings to grant exemptions from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) learning and development requirements to individual children, where parents can show that the requirements are in conflict with their religious or philosophical beliefs. We anticipate that such exemptions will be needed in only exceptional circumstances, given the breadth and flexibility within the EYFS requirements. It is already the case that good providers of early learning and child care will tailor their provision to suit each individual child that they work with, including taking into account the views of parents, and we expect that they will continue to do so when the EYFS comes into force.

Pre-School Education: Teachers

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of students studying for the early years professional status secured local authority funding for  (a) one,  (b) two and  (c) three years at the outset of their training.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 13 May 2008
	We do not hold information on LA funding to Early Years Professionals that came through the Transformation Fund or now does from the Graduate Leader Fund. Information on the Transformation Fund or Graduate Leader Fund may be available direct from local authorities or Government Offices.

Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimate is of the average cost pressures for schools for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The minimum funding guarantee for schools (MFG), which has been set at 2.1 per cent. for 2008 to 2011, is based on an assessment of average cost pressures schools will face from a range of pay and non-pay pressures at national level over the next three years. A spreadsheet detailing the estimated cost pressures and an explanatory note can be downloaded from the School Funding section of the TeacherNet website, on the 'School Budget Setting 2008 to 2011' page at the following web address:
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/schoolbudgets200811/
	 Annex A
	
		
			2008-09  2009-10 
			High  Low  High  Low  High  Low  High  Low 
			  Expenditure type  Percentage of total expenditure  Percentage pressure  Pressure on budget  Percentage pressure  Pressure on budget  Percentage pressure  Pressure on budget  Percentage pressure  Pressure on budget 
			  Teachers' Pay 57.4 — — — — — — — — 
			 Headline award  2.47 1.42 2.21 1.27 2.36 1.36 2.00 1.15 
			 Other pay drift  0.15 0.08 0.15 0.08 0.10 0.06 0.10 0.06 
			 Pensions  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			   
			 Non-teaching pay 21.4 — — — — — — — — 
			 Headline award  2.00 0.43 2.00 0.43 2.00 0.43 2.00 0.43 
			 Local pay implementation  2.00 0.43 1.50 0.32 2.00 0.43 1.50 0.32 
			 LG pensions  2.00 0.43 0.75 0.16 2.00 0.43 0.75 0.16 
			   
			 Non-pay costs 21.2 2.70 0.57 2.70 0.57 2.70 0.57 2.70 0.57 
			 Efficiency savings   -1.00  -1.00  -1.00  -1.00 
			 Total 100 — 2.4 — 1.8 — 2.3 — 1.7 
		
	
	
		
			   2010-11 
			   High  Low  High  Low 
			  Expenditure type  Percentage pressure  Pressure on budget  Percentage pressure  Pressure on budget 
			  Teachers' Pay — — — — 
			 Headline award 2.30 1.32 2.00 1.15 
			 Other pay drift 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Pensions -0.06 -0.03 -0.06 -0.03 
			  
			 Non-teaching pay — — — — 
			 Headline award 2.00 0.43 2.00 0.43 
			 Local pay implementation 2.00 0.43 1.50 0.32 
			 LG pensions 2.00 0.43 0.75 0.16 
			  
			 Non-pay costs 2.70 0.57 2.70 0.57 
			 Efficiency savings  -1.00  -1.00 
			 Total — 2.1 — 1.6

Schools: Governing Bodies

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to reform the school governors system.

Jim Knight: We set out our plans for making school governing bodies more effective in the Children's Plan. We believe that smaller, more highly skilled governing bodies, alongside improved governor training will provide more effective governance for schools. As a first step, a stakeholder working group has been established to consider reforming governance in this way.

Specialised Diplomas: Work Experience

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether employees of businesses offering work experience to Diploma students will be required to undergo Criminal Records Bureau checks; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Whether a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check is required of an employee of a business offering a work experience placement, either as part of current statutory work related learning at key stage 4 or as part of a diploma course from September 2008, depends on the nature of the placement, and an assessment of the risks involved. Risk assessments, and CRB checks where required, are frequently carried out by Education Business Partnerships on behalf of schools which have the duty to ensure this is done. There are no plans to carry out Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks on everyone a young person comes into contact with during a work experience placement including those which are part of diploma requirements. This is because looking after, training and supervising a young person during the course of their placement is not part of those employees' day to day role. CRB checks, where selectively required, have been carried out on employees of businesses offering work experience placement at KS4 for a number of years. The track record in respect of safeguarding young people during their work experience is first class, with no reported instances or difficulties.

Sure Start Programme: Expenditure

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much and what proportion of the Sure Start budget was spent on  (a) building new children's centres,  (b) building new buildings for existing children's centres,  (c) staff salaries,  (d) training existing staff,  (e) play equipment and  (f) food and catering in each year since the Sure Start programme was established.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 12 May 2008
	The Department does not collect disaggregated data for expenditure on the Sure Start programme in the format requested. Capital and revenue spending in each year since the Sure Start programme was established is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Capital  Revenue 
			   £ million  Percentage  £ million  Percentage 
			 1999-2000 3.6 53 3.2 47 
			 2000-01 1.3 4 32.8 96 
			 2001-02 11.0 10 104.8 90 
			 2002-03 82.8 32 174.3 68 
			 2003-04 96.9 24 308.0 76 
			 2004-05 159.7 30 371.2 70 
			 2005-06 353.6 43 477.6 58 
			 2006-07 236.1 28 603.8 72

Teachers: Pay

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of teachers will receive pay increases of  (a) less than 2.45 per cent.,  (b) 2.45 per cent. and  (c) more than 2.45 per cent. from September; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has proposed to accept the recommendations of the School Teachers' Review Body for a pay award of 2.45 per cent. for school teachers in England and Wales from 1 September 2008. This would mean that all teachers currently in service and who remain in service on 1 September 2008 would receive a minimum uplift of 2.45 per cent. About 40 per cent. of teachers progress to a higher point in any one year and these teachers would therefore receive additional increases.

Youth Referral Orders

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people have been the subject of youth referral orders, broken down by categories of offence.

Beverley Hughes: The tables showing the available information on numbers of referral orders issued and the types of offences for which these were made are placed in the House Libraries. The tables are taken from 'Sentencing statistics 2006, England and Wales' published by the Ministry of Justice.